Rainy Day Dream

Rating:
Summary: 4 ½ * Pictures Speak Louder Than Words
Review: This is, quite literally, a picture book: There is no text. The reader follows the flight of an umbrella-wielding boy swept up by the wind. The pictures show a bird's eye view of the varying landscapes, including a flight over a dam, past a train (with which he almost collides), a waterfall, the docks of what looks like Boston, and his final safe landing back to the park where it all began. Some of the pictures may be a little frightening to sensitive toddlers; on the other hand, they may be reassured by the boy's happy landing. The 30 pages of watercolor pictures are luminously rendered, and the adult and young child can talk have a dialogue about "what happens next?" or "where is he now?" This is a nice opportunity for toddlers (and pre-toddlers) to add their own words to a beautifully illustrated story.