On a rainy day

The "WHOOOSH!" and CRRRREAK!" of a swing is interrupted by the "dit dot drip!" of raindrops, and "soon, there are more." A brown-skinned, dark-haired father and daughter reluctantly head to the car; as the rain increases, sound words are playfully incorporated into each scene. The little girl looks anxiously up at the sky, and her drooping head and shoulders as they go into the house show her disappointment. The dad's solution of playing a video game cheers her up, just in time for a big "RRRRUMBLE CRASH!" The lights go out ("zzzzt!") and the following very dark double-page spread shows shadowy shapes and lots of swirling sounds. A blanket fort and flashlight make a cozy, safe space to play checkers and wait out the storm. Perkins's digital art resembles linocuts, with circular imagery moving the story along. Like Davis's Sunny-Side Up (rev. 5/21), this is a tale both about the weather and about weathering disappointment. The joyful puddle-jumping "FWOOSH!" that ends the book should have preschoolers looking forward to rainy days. Susan Dove Lempke March/April 2022 p.(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Stuck indoors due to inclement weather, a girl and her father pass the time together. When the rain forces them to head home from the park, the girl's disappointment is clear. As the rain turns into a storm, her dad comes up with ideas to turn the stormy day into a fun one. The pair play video games, and when the power goes out, they build a blanket fort, play a board game by flashlight, and stomp around in a puddle after the storm ends. There's a lovely subtle message in the narrative--when distractions (in one scene the father puts away his laptop) are removed, we can experience the simple joys of being with loved ones. Perkins tells the story without any dialogue. The spare narration dominated by onomatopoeia makes for a compelling read-aloud: The first drop of rain hits the park bench with a "plip"; there's the "vvvvvvooooooshhh" of car wheels on wet roads, the impressive "BOOM" of thunder, and the "fwoosh" of puddle spray. One particularly powerful illustration shows the child alone in a dark room after the power goes, her dad having gone to fetch flashlights. Font sizes vary in accordance with the degree of loudness of the sounds described. The affecting digital illustrations have stark lines and shading effects that give the feeling of linocut art. They depict the characters with light brown skin and dark hair. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A sonically rich story that captures the simple joys of rainy days at home. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.