Rainstorm

Barbara Lehman, whose The Red Book received a Caldecott Honor in 2005, delivers another wordless picture-book (a form that she seems to have adopted as her own) in Rainstorm, which follows the adventures of a young boy, one rainy afternoon. In an evocative opening scene, the boy stands in his playroom, looking out the window at the rain-soaked world, and clearly wondering what to do. His halfhearted ballgame leads to the discovery of a key, which in turns leads to an incredible journey through a secret passage, and an afternoon playing with some new friends in a marvelous new place.

As with The Red Book, Lehman's illustrations here - done in watercolor, gouache, and ink - are lovely, with a simple but effective palette, and a sweet, show more crisp style. Many of the pages are divided into panels, facilitating the storytelling through image, while the story itself - who hasn't dreamed of escape to a sunny isle, on cold and rainy days? or longed for friends, when lonely and alone? - is immensely satisfying. I think I prefer this one to Lehman's earlier Caldecott honoree, mostly because the story is more involving. Recommended to young readers who enjoy wordless picture-books, and to fans of the author/artist. show less

Rainstorm by Barbara Lehman is a beautifully illustrated, wordless picture book that invites readers into a world of imagination and exploration. The story revolves around a young boy who discovers an umbrella and, with it, embarks on an adventure that leads him to new worlds and unexpected encounters. Through the use of vibrant, detailed illustrations, Lehman creates a captivating narrative where the visuals take the lead. The simplicity of the story allows for various interpretations, making it especially engaging for young readers, but also enjoyable for adults who can appreciate the beauty of the art and the quiet storytelling. The story's quiet pace and mysterious ambiance make it a lovely book to pause over and appreciate the show more subtle details.
In terms of themes, Rainstorm touches on adventure, solitude, and the beauty of nature, while also conveying the power of a single object (the umbrella) to open up new possibilities. There’s an element of suspense and delight, especially as the boy navigates through different landscapes and explores his environment. show less

This wordless picture book does a wonderful job creating a theme of friendship. I really liked this book and appreciated the story it told without using words. We read this book in one of my education classes and it was cool to notice that all my classmates had different theories of what the big idea was in the book. One realization I made with wordless picture books -while reading this book- was each reader comprehends a wordless picture book differently. This is due to there being no words to explain what is going on in each picture or page. Like I stated before, the big idea that came across to me was the importance of friendship. This boy was lonely on a rainy day and was lost looking for something to do. When he stumble upon a key show more that took him to a place where it was sunny and found friends to play with. Later in the story, the boy has to return home where he becomes sad again, but the next day the friends come to visit him to play in his house. Another positive about this book is the illustrator did a great job in making the pictures artistic, yet clear for all reader to pick out the meaning and comprehend the big ideas. I would definitely recommend this book to students that have not yet read a wordless picture book so that they can experience the uniqueness of this type of book. show less

I really enjoyed this book. It is a wordless book that follows a young boy as he explores what to do on a rainy day. He finds a secret passageway that leads to a sunny island where he meets friends. They play together and at the end, they venture back to the boys original house where the weather is no longer rainy. I think this book would be good for all ages, as it explores adventure and friendship.

This was such a cute book! Despite being wordless, the author created a sense of mystery. With each new page, I could never predict what was going to happen, keeping me intrigued and hooked. For example, once the little boy found the key, I would have never guessed where it would have taken him. I also thought the illustrations themselves were very well done. I liked the panel style the author incorporated, giving the feel of a comic strip. I also think this book can be relatable for some children. Everyone has felt lonely at some point in their life, wishing they could be whisked away on an adventure where they meet new friends. There is an aspect to the book that I don't think is so relatable, however. The boy seemed to live in a very show more big house, wore fancy clothing, and sat down to dinner at a table with nice china. So, many children may not be able to relate to this socioeconomic status, and I think it's very important to see yourself in stories. Overall, I think this is a great book for exploring children's imaginations as well as practicing making predictions about what is going to happen next. show less

This was a really great read in my opinion! Even though it was a wordless book, I found myself reading the images, and I had paid no mind to the fact that there were no words because the story is so wonderful. A boy is stuck inside his house during a rainstorm, and he begins to play around with his toys, playing ball, and then finding a random key. This key opens a secret passage to a magical world where the boy escapes the rainy reality and enjoys time spent with a whole crowd of new friends! I think the book eludes to the boy using his imagination to create this magical world, and that is important to connect to the fact that it is written without words because it sort of makes us, as the readers, use our imagination to actively show more participate in this boy's adventure. I love it! show less

This is a really fun book, a boy is bored on a rainy day and find a secret tunnel in his house. It's a wordless book that journeys through every young kids dream of finding a secret passage in their home that leads to something amazing.