Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale

by Verna Aardema

A cumulative rhyme relating how Ki-pat brought rain to the drought-stricken Kapiti Plain.   Verna Aardema has brought the original story closer to the English nursery rhyme by putting in a cumulative refrain and giving the tale the rhythm of “The House That Jack Built.”

Genres: Picture Books, Africa, Childrens, Poetry, Animals, Fiction, Nature

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

A prolific American children's author and teacher, Verna Norberg Aardema Vugteveen - more commonly known as Verna Aardema - was born in 1911 in New Era, Michigan. She was educated at Michigan State University, and taught grade school from 1934-1973. She also worked as a journalist for the Muskegon Chronicle from 1951-1972. In 1960 she published her first book, the collection of stories, Tales from the Story Hat. She went on to write over thirty more books, most of them folkloric retellings. Her picture-book, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, won co-illustrators Leo and Diane Dillon a Caldecott Medal. Aardema was married twice, and died in 2000 in Fort Myers, Florida. (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this lovely rhyming picture book, based upon the folk traditions of the Nandi people of Kenya, a herdsman named Ki-pat finds a way to end the drought, and bring some much-needed rain to Kapiti Plain. Originally collected by British anthropologist Sir Claud Hollis, and included in his 1909 book The Nandi: Their Language and Folk-Lore , the tale has been modernized by Verna Aardema, whose many excellent adaptations of African folklore include the Caldecott Medal-winner, Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears .

I enjoyed Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain immensely, and had such fun with the rhyming narrative, that I began to read it aloud to myself. I can see why it was selected to be a Reading Rainbow book! Beatriz Vidal's beautiful illustrations provide a charming accompaniment to the story, which would make an ideal story-hour selection. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone looking for rhyming texts for young children.

[Faloni © · Rating 5 out of 5]

VISIT THE NONFICTION SECTION AND FIND THE ANIMAL BOOKS. CHOOSE AN ANIMAL YOU’VE NEVER
HEARD OF. CHECK IT OUT AND READ ABOUT ITS HABITAT, DIET, AND LIFE CYCLE. 💎👶🏾 🦓🐆

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this from Reading Rainbow years ago! The story is told in such a lyrical way, I just love the rhythm. The illustrations are fabulous, very evocative of place and emotion; the cows with their tongues lulling out from thirst always creeped me out as a kid, but in a delicious sort of way since I knew the happy ending to come. I came across a copy recently and still think it's a great book!

[Shanna Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nicely illustrated retelling of a traditional Kenyan folktale, altered to fit the British style of cumulative nursery rhymes, reminiscent of "The House that Jack Built." The illustrations are evocative of African artwork, and unlike many children's books that tell folktales, this one omits the near-obligatory animism and spiritism that permeates tribal cultures. However, it also doesn't have the literary form of most traditional tales. The tale of a shepherd shooting a hole in the clouds to water his herd is lighthearted in its delivery, but it also conveys on a child's level the trouble that dry seasons can bring to a subsistence agrarian community. This is good for children who grew up in a wealthy industrialized society where clean water is available at the turn of the tap. Stories like this one may begin to open their understanding to the fact that other people do not have access to the resources they take for granted.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a charming African picture book that I had to buy as soon as I saw the great illustrations, especially the purple-feathered eagle, and saw that it used "This is the house that Jack Built" repetition that I fondly remember my Dad reading to us a long, long time ago. Here was a book with gorgeous illustrations that I could read to my grandchildren and thus connect the past with the present with the future. I want it close by when I'm too old to read anything else :)

[Emilie Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain is a beautiful picture book set in Nandi, Kenya, Africa. A tale of magic and tradition in a land where there has been no rain and the grass and animals are in desperate need to be replenished and fed. ‘As the big, black cloud, all heavy with rain, that shadowed the ground on Kapiti Plain’ lingers in the sky ahead, who will save the day and end this draught over Kapiti Plain?

Appropriate for KS1 this magical tale uses rhyming words, repetition and similes, which makes this book an interesting read with poetry intertwined throughout and would act well as an introduction to poetry or even as an extension piece. The rhythm of the book is set to the same as “The House that Jack Built’ creating a good comparison activity between an English tale and a tale from another country/culture. This would also be an effective scaffolding exercise as the language used in Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain is quite complex, with lots of tricky words.

[Victor The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vibrant and rhythmic poem that tells a story of a young herder who attempts to make the sky rain for his cows and the dry plain that is his home. A- (91%/Excellent)

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

A legend story about a boy that shoots an arrow into the clouds to make it rain. Told in "This is the House that Jack Built" fashion.

Ages: 4 - 8

See which rainy day books our family is enjoying: watch my reel!

Content Considerations: nothing to note.

**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide Content Considerations, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!

If you’re considering a book or looking for a new title to read, check out my highly categorized shelves, read my reviews and Friend or Follow me to spiff up your feed with clean, wholesome, living books.

I have an Instagram account that’s pretty bookishly unique too!

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This repetitive rhyming book is charming and just begs to be read aloud. In fact, I ended up reading it aloud to myself and I’m looking forward to reading it to some children when I have the opportunity. This catchy story is based on an old Nandi Kenyan African folk tale. The illustrations are done by an artist who has created designs for UNICEF cards; the art was familiar and I think that’s why. This was enjoyable to read and I just reserved this author’s book: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, a title that I find intriguing.

[Ellie Abrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain is a retelling of a traditional tale from Nandi culture. With rhyming lines that repeat many times, this would be a great story to share with a class who could join in with the telling of the story. This poetic nature of the story makes it engaging for the younger years.

[Amy the book-bat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember this book being on Reading Rainbow years ago. It is still enjoyable. I think the repetition is particularly good for young readers. The illustrations are good and there is a nice variety of animals depicted.

[Zee Ahmad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Reading Rainbow throwback. James Earl Jones’s iconic narration made it unforgettable, and the rhythmic repetition low-key felt like The Raven which is my favorite poem of all time. You miss bangers like this if you only read “adult” books.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was on Reading Rainbow, when I was little. Then, my Mom bought it. Later, it was lost.

One day, I was helping the librarian clean out books that were no longer used… Right after she told me I could have any book, this one popped up.

I took it home and read it aloud to my daughter. I remembered correctly. The beautiful words pop off the page and out of the reader’s mouth so crisply, it’s as if I am also standing in the field, in Africa. 🐘☀️

[LeAnna · Rating 4 out of 5]

When people share their favorite childhood books with me, I have to check them out! This one was delightful.

[Jolene Aho]

“Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain” is a folktale from the Nandi people in Kenya. It is about Ki-pat, a herdsman who tries to make it rain during a drought so the cattle will have grass to graze on.
This story is traditional literature because it is a folktale. It is a simple story with a clever hero who saves the cattle. It was passed down by storytellers until it was written down in 1909. This is a more recent adaptation.
This book has rhythm and a cumulative refrain like “The House That Jack Built” does, which makes it a good read aloud. It could be used to teach about rhyming or about story sequence. Because of the repetition, students should be able to remember the sequence of events. It could also be integrated with social studies or science when learning about different ecosystems or weather. Topics such as drought and migration could be related to this book. According to Scholastic Book Wizard, the grade level equivalent for this book is 3.7. Although Scholastic indicates “Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain” would be of interest to 3rd-5th graders, my kindergartener enjoyed listening to it. I think it could be used with children in all elementary grades.

[Sara Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kenyan folktale, “Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain,” is about a drought in the Kapiti Plain. It very poetically describes how everything is interdependent. “These are the cows, all hungry and dry, Who mooed for the rain to fall from the sky; To green-up the grass, all brown and dead, That needed the rain from the cloud overhead---” with each line it grows more and more building from the page before. It is written in a similar manner “The House that Jack Built.”
A teacher could use this book to sequence events which aids in reading comprehension.
Another way would be in a science lesson about the water cycle. It would be a great starting point to begin the unit. The books illustrates so beautifully how everything depends on rain.
I love this book and I think it would spark some great discussion within a kindergarten through 2nd grade classroom.

[Betty Ortega · Rating 5 out of 5]

* Book Summary
This book highlights the importance of rain and what happens to the community of Kapiti Plain when it doesn't rain for a long time.

*awards
NONE: author is Winner of Caldecott Medal and Brooklyn Art Books for Children Award

* Grade Level/ Interest level
2nd-4th grade

* Appropriate Classroom Use
When learning about Ecology

*Student Who Might Benefit From Reading
All students

* Small Group Use
I would ask students to think about what would happen to their community if they didn't get rain for a long time.

* Whole Class Use
I would use this book as an introduction to an Ecology unit, more specifically when learning about environment interdependency.


*Related Book In Genre
We All Went on a Safari

*Multimedia Connections
N/A

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, rhythmic tale that uses cumulative wording similar to the story, "The House that Jack Built." The illustrations are wonderful and the rhyming narrative is fun to read. Our oldest has read this so many times, she can almost recite it by heart. We really had fun taking turns reading this one aloud.

January 2023 update: I happened upon a copy of this book around the house and read it again before donating it. It's just as good as I remembered.

[Shanaz Begum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have never picked this book up read it. At school our topic was diversity and my class was looking at Africa. This book linked perfectly in with the topic. It was really nice how the author used rhyme in the book and repetition. The book had beautiful illustration. It was amazing how children as young as 5/6 year old were interested in this book. Just reading this book we were able to link it in with English, Art and a bit maths too!

[Megan M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book that has stuck with me over time. I probably read this book a dozen times as a child. The artwork and the rhythmic poetry of the story were absolutely captivating to me. I remember studying the different types of animals and dreaming of going on an actual safari. Beatriz Vidal's gorgeous illustrations gives a sense of ancient simplicity that compliments the story in every way. I definitely suggest this book for children of any age.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book that really fitted with the rainy weather, to show that some areas really want rain! The suspense as to whether it will rain on the next page was great. I really like how the poem builds and unfortunately it didn't work too well when I read it with a nursery group but I'm sure KS1 or 2 groups would appreciate it much more. The illustrations were also lovely - that biiig blaaack cloud!

[Margaret Prempeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great educational fiction book. This was read to a year 1 class over a number of days. Great for informational retrieval. Originally used for a literacy lesson but covered Geography and Science as well.
The book is about a drought in Africa, Kapiti Plain and the animals end up migrating so Ki-Pat(main character) finds a way to bring the rain, and animals, back to Kapiti Plain.

[♥♣Mary♦♠ If She So Pleases · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very nice story time picture book set in Africa. It is repetitive like This is The House That Jack Built.

It centers around a herdsman and cows.

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2023

2022
2022
Gift from Harper's grandmother

[Chuck Mageean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Target audience: 2nd to 4th grade
Summary: Published six years after her award winning "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears", this book is a beautifully illustrated cumulative rhyming tale about a drought in the Kapati plain of Kenya discovered by an anthropologist in the early 20th century who had noticed its a rhythmic pattern in the original telling reminiscent of "The House that Jack Built."
This book has much in common with "Why Mosquitoes Buzz..." such as the setting, the way the events are linked one to another, the overall tone and feel, the source of the narrative. In particular it seems as though the way these two books illustrate interconnectedness between events and cause/effect relationships could justify the claim that they carry the same motif.
Strength/weaknesses: The repetitive pattern gives the reader a pleasant sensation of predictability which could possibly help enable emerging readers to work their way through the text. The story suggests the interconnectedness of events, sort of a child's version of systems theory. Not so much a weakness as a common element in traditional literature, but in the story the drought ended because an Eagle feather dropped from the sky. Do young readers ever ask if a causal relationship between the feather dropping and the drought ending has been satisfactorily established?
Illustrations: Beautiful and expressive, work well with the story.
Personal critique: A very pleasant book, recommended for its target audience.
Illustrations: Beatriz Vidal's beautiful artwork actually surpasses the award winning illustrations of the earlier work.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread, of course. I wanted to revisit a childhood favorite. The vivid illustrations and building, rhyming story structure will appeal to readers across the generations, making it a pleasant choice for frequent reads by caregivers.

Readers of a certain age will remember the "Reading Rainbow" episode featuring this book with lovely host, LeVar Burton-- who made every day better and started so many children's lifelong journeys into love of books.

Watch here (Season 1, Episode 4: 1983).
If the link doesn't come through, search it up.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ORQSsZL...

In the back of the book ("About the Tale"), it describes how: "This tale was discovered in Kenya, Africa, more than seventy years ago by the famous anthropologist Sir Claud Hollis," who learned it from children of the Nandi tribe. The description honors the Nandi people and explains the translation choices that make the story more accessible to an English language audience, mimicking the structure of the classic nursery rhyme, "The House That Jack Built" (first published in London in the 1750s). But of course in 2025-- compared to the book's publication date of 1981-- we wouldn't use the language of "discovery" by an anthropologist in Africa to describe a cultural tradition by another people.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: This is my one book published before 2000.

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain is an adaptation of a African myth of the yearly monsoon. It tells the story of a cow-herder who watches his herd suffer during the dry season. It is told in a repetitive poem with a lovely rhythm. This repetition makes the book easy and engaging for students to read. The artwork in the book is also lovely.

This book could be used with a variety of ages. For younger classes, it could be an engaging read aloud. For older classes, it could be used as part of a larger unit of mythology or poetry. I love books about myths and I'm always looking for resources for my students from different areas of Africa to connect to. I look forward to adding this book to my classroom library.

This book would be a lovely addition to a class mythology unit. It could be compared to other myths from around the world regarding rain. Often a mythology unit focuses on Roman, Greek, and Norse mythology, so adding this tale could provide diversity. Because of the repetitive pattern and rhythm, this book could be adapted for reader's theater to build students' fluency. For more advanced students or as a class shared writing experience, a different myth could be rewritten in the repetitive pattern of the book.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I stumbled upon this at my local Restore I immediately snatched it up. My mom remembers hearing LeVar Burton read it on Reading Rainbow (I do not), but the Reading Rainbow insignia on the front and the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library blurb on the inside front cover was enough to recommend this book to me (If LeVar or Dolly told me to read the phone book cover-to-cover, I would do it.). There were so many aspects of the book that I enjoyed it's hard to pick a favorite, but I think I really loved most the building rhyme. It begs to be read aloud with an audience joining in as they catch the rhythm and remember the repeated lines, and I love reading as a community activity. The illustrations are definitely a close second, as well as the diverse story. While there are obvious joys from reading about experiences similar to your own, reading about someone else's experience that you could never imagine is a singularly unique experience that is underrated. I may never watch livestock on an African plain like Ki-pat, so I am glad to be able to experience it (sort of) secondhand through this telling.

In reading the "About the Tale" in the back of the book, I was a little disappointed that this is not how the original story was told. I hope to be able to find the original.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nandi are an ethnic group in East Africa, living in the highlands of Kenya. This book is about a particular area called the Kapiti Plain and is a Nandi folktale about a drought and how one man was able to bring rain to the plain.
This area of the Nandi homeland is normally lush and green due to plentiful rain, but this year there is none. The pastureland is brown, and the cattle are hungry. Ki-pat is a herder and he watches the desiccation of the land and the suffering of his cattle and the wild animals. Clouds come over and appear to be dark with embedded rain, but none falls. Eventually Ki-pat fashions a stout bow and shoots an arrow into the sky. Like a pierced balloon, the cloud sheds its’ water and the land is quickly green once again.
Adapted to the rhythm of the fairy tale, “The House That Jack Built,” this story is an expression of a folk tale that was discovered by an anthropologist in the early years of the twentieth century. It is a short and illustrative example of what is most important to herders, rain so that there is natural feed for their cattle. This book is a good addition to libraries where knowledge of other cultures is considered important.

[Connie Thorne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain: A Nandi Tale is a new read for me. I enjoyed this text very much and I can't wait to share it with my First Graders! The rhythm and repetition present throughout the story lends itself well to early readers, as they are seeking opportunities to develop their reading and fluency skills through repeated texts. In this story, the landscape and animals of Kapiti Plain have suffered greatly due to a lack of rain. An eagle, of all birds, drops a feather that Ki-pat uses to make an arrow. With his bow, he shoots the arrow and pierces the storm cloud. At long last, the rain falls on the plain and all is well once again. One can easily correlate the strength of the eagle with the strength that Ki-pat had in caring for his land. There are many extension activities that came to mind as I was reading: locating Kenya on a map, researching a plain and the animals that live within, choral reading using groups with various lines assigned to them, a weather unit, etc. I can't wait to try a few of these out and see what my students think!