Rain (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Illustrator) "It was hot..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

As the red soil of the African savanna becomes parched and cracked, the porcupine SMELLS the rain coming. She tells the zebras, who SEE the rain coming and gallop off to tell the baboons. The baboons HEAR the rain coming. The rhino FEELS it. And the lion TASTES the rain. All the animals use their senses to predict the change of weather. Soon, the sky opens and it rains and rains and rains until every river gushes and gurgles. When it stops, green buds and grasses sprout and the animals find shelter in the shade of the big leaves and the cool, squelchy mud and relish the "fresh, juicy fruit from the trees" and long, refreshing drinks from the water hole.

Manya Stojic's exuberant picture book celebrates nature's sometimes extreme but always magical methods in madness. From scorching drought to frenzied rainfall and back again, all the animals live in harmony with this natural cycle. Stojic's artwork is stunning--lush golds, fiery red-oranges, cool, wet blues, and brilliant greens burst off the pages, while the soft grays, blacks, and browns of the savanna creatures, with their visible brush strokes, seem to come alive before our very eyes. Rain is as golden, vibrant, and palpably refreshing as Flora McDonnell's Splash!--another wonderful picture book about delicious, delicious water. (Ages 3 and older) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

"It was hot," announces Stojic in big, bold type at the opening of her handsome debut book. Indeed, the scorching savanna temperatures radiate from her abstract compositions, and the cracked soil and yellowed grasslands glow as if ignited by the sun. But the animals know that this weather cannot last forever: they variously smell, hear, see, feel or taste the approach of rain. The rain, greatly savored, eventually stops, but the animals continue to appreciate it: "We can't hear the rain now," shout the baboons, "but we can eat fresh, juicy fruit from the trees." The language is only serviceable, but the freshness of the art compensates. Stojic brings a deliciously heightened sensuality to her interpretation of savanna life. Tightly and often unconventionally framing her full-bleed, double-page spreads, she approximates a range of sensations, from the pleasure of the downpour (visualized as a spread of broad blue brush strokes) t0 the cozy ooze of the rhino's chocolate-colored mud hole to the mouthwatering lusciousness of the baboons' orange fruit. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers (May 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517800853
• ISBN-13: 978-0517800850
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #574,048 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Rain" - useful in the classroom!, August 1, 2000

By	George Swan (Bedford, TX USA) - See all my reviews

"Rain," written and illustrated by Manya Stojic, is a very simply written but bold story about how animals could react to the rain in the parched African savanna. Using the five senses of smell, sight, sound, touch and taste, African animals give different commentaries about the coming rains. The bright, bold illustrations are of great value to the book; they make it fun and enjoyable. Using large fonts and bold letters along with the pictures, one can almost feel the heat of the desert rise from the pages as well as the coolness of the rains.

The rain cycle could be taught along with this book, showing the benefits of the rain. Life depends on the rains - the grasses grow and fruits develop and mature. Life is sustained again by the blessings of the rain.

The book is great for helping young readers build their vocabulary. Sentences such as "A porcupine sniffed around" contain verbs that are easy to act out for children - the children can "sniff" as the porcupine talks about it. Besides the use of basic verbs, it also contains a good variety of descriptive adjectives (ie. cool, soft, squelchy mud). For teaching opposites, such as dry, wet, empty, full, "Rain" can be useful. I see great potential for this book in my bilingual class.

Manya Stojic has done a great job on this, her first children's book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Vivid, colorful illustrations make this book worthwhile, May 10, 2000

By A Customer

This new release would be a great addition to your child's library. It tells the story of how the wild animals sense that the rain is coming, and then how they celebrate the results of the life-giving rainstorm. The illustrations are done in bright, primary colors that are very eye-catching. I think this is a great book for those long, hot summer days.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Multiple Lessons For Early Childhood Education, March 15, 2001

By	"llenchak" (Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews

Stojic suceeds at her first children'book! Educators/parents can use this book for lessons in African animals, the five senses, and how the Earth needs rain for vegetation and the food we eat. The illustrations are bold and give the feel of the dry African landscape. After the rain comes the illustrations are lush and feel like what we know as spring. Early readers can identify words in the large text. A must have for Early Childhood Educators!!