Rain: PB #8 for 14:14 Review

Title: RAIN!

Author: Linda Ashman

Illustrator: Christian Robinson

Publisher:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Year: 2013

Word Count: nearly wordless

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Summary

One rainy day in the city, an eager little boy exclaims, “Rain!” Across town a grumpy man grumbles, “Rain.” In this endearing picture book, a rainy-day cityscape comes to life in vibrant, cut-paper-style artwork. The boy in his green frog hat splashes in puddles—“Hoppy, hoppy, hoppy!”—while the old man curses the “dang puddles.” 
Can the boy brighten everyone's spirits including the grouchy gentleman?

Story Element: Patterns

Spread 1: (Introduction)
Picture of apartment buildings in a city with shadows of people in two windows. Rain is falling.

Spread 2: (Repetition of word & establish mood)
On the left page, the old man makes a sour face -
"RAIN!"

On the right page, the boy looks excited -
"Rain!"

Spread 3: (Pattern of 3 shows mood)

Inside the old man's gray apartment, he gets ready to go outside - “Nasty galoshes.” 
“Blasted overcoat.” 
Reaches for his hat—
“There goes my hair . . .” 

Inside the boy's cheery apartment, they gets ready to go outside -
Mom: “Is it raining cats and dogs?” 

Boy: “It’s raining frogs and pollywogs!” 
He jumps around in his boots. “Hippity hop.”

Spread 4:  (Pattern shown in “Hmmfff.” and “Ribbit!”)

The old man comes out of his apartment building. 

Door man: “Good morning, sir.” 

Old man: “Hmmfff.” 

He opens his umbrella. A gust of wind inverts it, and he steps in a puddle: “Dang puddle.”

The boy bounds out of his apartment building, his mother behind him. 

Door man: “Good morning, young man.” 

The boy splashes happily in a puddle by the door: “Ribbit!”

Spread 5 & 6:  (Pattern of mood continues)

The old man walks along a city street and radiating grumpiness. Adults he passes appear to wilt, children cry and dogs tuck their tails.

The boy skips along a city street and radiating happiness. People smile as he passes, dogs wag their tails, flowers perk up, birds flutter overhead. He waves to street vendors and/or shopkeepers, who wave/smile back.

The pattern of mood continues as the old man and boy with his mother enter the Rain or Shine Cafe.
The old man removes his coat and hat (which falls on the floor).
Man: “Coffee.” 

Boy orders. His mother follows with cups of cocoa, brimming with marshmallows. They take off their rain gear and sit.
Boy: “Cocoa and cookies, please.” 

The old man remains grumpy while the boy chats with his mom. 
As both parties get ready to leave the cafe. The old man and boy bump into each other. Sadness appears to rub off on the boy. 
Then the boy notices that the old man left his hat. The boy runs out of the cafe. The rain has stopped. The old man notices the boy.
Old man: “You?”
The boy puts on the old man's hat and frowns. Then he puts on his own hat and smiles.
The boy offers the old man back his hat. 
The pattern changes. 
The old man points to the boy's hat and tries it on. Then they switch hat.
The boy gives the old man is cookie.
They both smile. The day brightens.

Moods are powerful and contagious. So, try to radiate happiness even on a cloudy day.

(Post #8 for the 14:14 Picture Book Blog Review Challenge created by Christie Wild of Write Wild. http://christiewrightwild.blogspot.com)