The Rain Came Don [Hardcover]

When the rain starts falling one morning, some chickens squawk, which makes a cat yowl. A dog barks at the cat, and a man yells at the dog, which causes his baby to try, and the man's wife shouts, 'Stop all that yelling! A police officer blocks traffic to check on the domestic disturbance and soon the whole neighborhood is honking, bickering, and snapping at one another a chain reaction of human frustration. And still, the rain came down. Shannon's, pacing re- flects the controlled chaotic scene in the urban, 19SOs-era neighborhood and builds dramatically to the cacophonous climax, making this a natural choice for reading aloud. Framed in white, large close illustrations show gently caricatured people, their faces distorted with irritation. Humorous details in the art-work relative the mood of increasing crankiness: in the comer of one painting, for example, a family of ducks boldly crosses the traffic-congested street in classic McCloskey fashion. At the height of the discord, Shannon pulls away to show a bird's-eye view of the noisy, cramped, waterlogged street while the text puts on the brakes: 'And then., . [page turn].. the rain stopped! The sun comes out, and calm and good will are restored In the end we arrive almost where we started, in the backyard witt the man, his wife, their baby, and their pets peacefully enjoying the sunny afternoon. Want to settle down an overly rambunctious group! Let them blow off steam with this satisfyingly circular story-they'l be transformed by the time the storm passes. K.P.

The Horn Book, Sept/Oct. 2000





Raindrops set off a chain reaction of temper tantrums, but a sudden break in the clouds makes the bad moods melt. A series of isolated vignettes begins with a noisy, muddy dog that aggravates its owner, so the man yelled at the dog and woke up the baby. . . The dog barked louder. And still, the rain came down. Outside, a taxi driver beeps at a stopped truck, and in the next frame,lCZ