Welcome, Rain!

by Sheryl McFarlane, Christine Wei (Illustrator)

We all love rain--until we are ready for some sun! This joyful ode to rain for kids 2 to 6 explores a child's many emotions when it comes to wet weather.

In this charming picture book, a young child's conversation with the rain poetically captures the ever-shifting feelings we have when it comes to drizzles and downpours. She thanks the rain for helping the strawberries and carrot seeds to grow, and delights in splashing in the puddles with her little brother. Then, she asks the rain if it could take a vacation so she can play in the park and go lightning fast on her scooter. Eventually, it's too hot for sidewalk chalk and catching frogs, and she begins to miss it.

Welcome Rain encourage kids to:

Get outside to explore and play, even in the rain Understand why rain is important, from helping plants grow to bringing cooler temperatures Cycling through the four seasons, this adorable picture bookis a celebration of our feelings for the rain--how we wish it would go away, then long for it when it's gone--and the necessary role it plays in our lives.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

Published April 11, 2023

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful book, both the writing and the illustrations. The story is from the point of view of a young girl and her conversation with rain. She talks about all the benefits the rain provides, thanks it and asks it to continue when it’s needed. She also asks it to stop for a while because they want to enjoy the sun and warmer weather, but soon she’s asking it to return for a much needed watering. This book is a fantastic resource for young children to understand the importance of rain and water and to see all the different ways it plays a vital role in our lives, throughout all the seasons.

This book is also a great conversation starter for your kids. You can choose a variety of different topics from weather and seasonal changes, plant and animal life, and our life with water.

I loved the poetic style of writing. It flowed so beautifully. The illustrations were also so beautiful, there was so much detail. We loved to stay at each page and look at all the pictures to see what we could and talk about it.

My kids and I really enjoyed this book. I know this will be a frequently read book.

Thank you to Greystone Kids/Greystone Books for sending me a gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Paul Sutter]

Growing up, I remember the old rhyme, “Rain rain go away, come again another day. Little (child’s name) wants to play”. Well in WELCOME RAIN, the children anticipate and embrace the falling rain.
They prepare for it with their rain gear, and frolic as the raindrops cascade around them. They proclaim that nature needs the rain for flowers and fruit to grow, along with providing water in the house and tub. But the children also don’t mind when it stops, because they won’t need raincoats and boots.
There comes a time when they miss the rain, especially nature around them. They again welcome it, bringing back the cycle of rain to replenish the earth. It makes for a fun children’s book, where children notice that rain is vital for the earth, and can create fun times when present, and sad times when it stays away.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

|| WELCOME RAIN ||
#gifted/@greystonekidsbooks
💧
A wonderful appreciation of rain!

My daughter adores this book! Beautifully illustrated, WELCOME RAIN follows a young childs conversations with the rain.
Grateful for the way it helps plants grow, to the activities we can do in the rain, to how it affects the animals and ourselves when we have non and when there is too much. Rhythmic, poetic words are engaging for young readers while encouraging a love of nature and exploration. The perfect Spring picture book!

For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong

[Marie Prins · Rating 5 out of 5]

After two weeks of dry weather, my garden was begging for today’s rain. Sheryl McFarlane captures the joy of an anticipated rainfall for children, adults, and creatures alike in Welcome, Rain. There are puddles and worms and delightful smells after a dry spell. But there can also be scary thunder and too much rain that dampens spirits so that we wish it away. In very child-friendly language, McFarlane captures the joy, the challenge, and the utter necessity of rainfall to replenish our water supply and make all things grow and thrive. This book will inspire many conversations about rain with young children and how to welcome it into our days.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl welcomes the rain, celebrating what it gives us, including the usual plants and rivers, but also less obvious boons such as water for the bathtub and Mom's tea. As the year progresses, rain is more and less welcomed - less needed at the beginning of summer when there are sprinklers and wading pools, nor as welcome when thunder booms and scares her and her pet. But when rain is gone for too long, making the grass brown and too itchy to play in, rain is welcomed back. The text is direct and thoughtful, and the illustrations, with interesting textures and patterns woven into the natural landscapes, and raindrop patterns in sometimes unexpected places, delight.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the young girl’s positive attitude toward rain. She sees the benefits of rain, dresses for it, and gets outside to enjoy it fully—a fun invitation to the reader to do the same. Rain brings out a smorgasbord of earthworms to nourish the robins and chickadees. When there is no rain for awhile, the young girl misses it and realizes how important rain is for all plants, trees, creatures, and people.
I adore the swirly drops of rain depicting water, both on the gorgeous cover and in some interior illustrations.

A joyful and beautiful celebration of life-giving rain.

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief summary: A young girl talks to the rain as she walks through the spring, observing how it provides puddles, worms to come out of the ground, and helps the plants grow. Then, it rains a lot, so the little girl says they have enough. Summer comes, and it is hot with little rain. The autumn leaves fall, and the grass is brown. She is glad that it rains again and asks for snow.

Comments: Each season with rain in it(or not so much) is addressed in this children's book. I'd pair this with seasons or the water cycle units of study.

Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute simple book about a kiddo talking to rain through out the warm seasons. Sometimes you love rain and welcome it! Other times you're tired of all the wet and you need some sun. But you don't want it to be gone for too long. We need rain! It touches on so many different feelings you might have about rain, and there are so many lovely things in the illustrations to comment on. I think this would be a nice read aloud for a family story time, particularly in autumn. Maybe with a few pages pinned.

[Becky B · Rating 2 out of 5]

A child talks to the rain like it is a person and tells it how much she enjoys when it comes and provides puddles and helps plants, doesn't like the thunder sometimes, and when it is dry for a while how much she wishes it would show up.

This felt a little odd as rain is capitalized throughout the book like its a person or something. It does a good job of showing how rain is important and helpful, but I never got used to writing style.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title was a little wordy I think for reading aloud, but it does give the overall joy of playing in the rain as well as the necessity for rain to maintain food and the balance of nature. I do love all of the umbrellas illustrated on the end papers. Publishing data just states that illustrations are made from mixed media. I am certain within that mixture is some digital art, correct if I am in error.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome Rain is mostly a glowing ode to rain, thanking the rain for all the useful things it provides like water for the plants and the baths and the lakes and even for cooking spaghetti. There’s a passage where the little girl wishes for the rain to stop, but then there is a drought, and she goes back to wishing for the joyful pitter patter of rain.

[E.G. Alaraj · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful picture book that brings back childhood memories of umbrella-themed birthday parties and puddle jumping sprees. Gratitude adorns every page in the vibrancy of the illustrations and the joy in the main character's voice. After the hot summer days, who doesn't feel the urge to welcome the rain with wide open arms?

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time to puddle jump! In this joyous celebration of the water cycle, a little girl gives thanks for all the good that precipitation provides in all of its forms throughout each season. Thoughtful illustrations show how water is the essence of life, sustaining all known organisms on Earth and the health of our planet.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet picture book highlighting the joys and downfalls and, ultimately the importance of rain.

[Steph]

Turn/Level: 1/3

Rain, Rain Appreciation, All seasons

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations steal the show in this lovely book about rain and the seasons.

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique and imaginative picture book celebration of rain and the spring season and summer seasons. Lyrical text pairs with dreamy illustrations full of nature admiration to make for a gentle and exultant read aloud. The narrative journeys through a range of emotions, even fear of thunderstorms and longing for rain in those hot and dry summer days. In the last couple of pages we journey to fall and winter as the girl in the story longs for snow. Overall I think this book makes for a nice read aloud for young children and is a beautiful celebration of the Earth.

For more notable 2023 nature-based books for children visit my blog:
https://thesilvanreverie.com/2023/04/...

***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Greystone Kids. Opinions are my own.

[Jessica Kluthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could gush about this book. First of all: look at this cover! It makes me want to tilt my face up to the sky to feel the rain fall—it’s so playful, bright, fun and full of movement. What an inviting book!

With a young girl as our guide, the book introduces a range of feelings about rainy days—from the joy that comes from splashing in puddles—umbrella tossed to the side—to the gratitude for water helping plants grow, and thankfulness for it flowing from the taps to fill the tub and to make tea. But, there’s also the more gloomy side to rainy days, too… like when the creek is full and the thunder is loud.

The bright, colourful illustrations — almost dreamlike, when, for instance, the young girl sits on a rock overlooking an oversized veggie patch, her brother wearing a flower as a floppy rain hat, paired with clear, descriptive language really makes this book the kind you want to read again and again.

I really appreciate how this book includes casual representation — and adore the illustration of the young girl, in her bright yellow rain jacket, leading a line of her friends as they dance through the puddles while holding hands. You’ll have to pick up a copy to admire it, too.

What a beautiful book. Next time it rains, listen for the “pitter-patter lullaby playing on the roof” and the “drip-drop song of raindrops singing in the trees.”

Thank you to Greystone Books for gifting this beautiful book to my family in exchange for an honest review — we love it!

[Kitchen Sink Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rain Rain go away is not the theme of this book which in fact embraces the idea of a rainy day, well at least until we would rather see the sun!

One little girl loves the rain and she poetically tells it how much so, thank in it for the strawberries and carrots which now grow, he puddles of splashing delight and we all know for the wonder of an umbrella too!

When she wishes for the sun so that she can play in the park it soon becomes too hot and once more she would like the rain back. A beautiful ode to the weather and our feelings for it and just look at what is hiding under that dust jacket