Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse, Illustrated by Jon J. Muth

I learned something else about Karen Hesse that I didn't know when I was looking for her books. She also writes picture books. Although she is heavily a children's novelist, her picture books also are fun to read and enjoy. Come On Rain! tells the story of a young girl and her mom as they await the coming rain to end the 3 week drought. We never learn the young narrator's name, but she is filled with energy and excitement. Once the rain starts, the young narrator gathers with her friends, and they dance in the streets welcoming the rain. Eventually their moms join in on the celebration, laughing, dancing, and getting soaked by the free-falling rain.

The story itself is simple, but the language that Hesse uses to convey the story are delightful and very entertaining. Hesse uses descriptive language that evokes all of the senses. Phrases from the story I especially liked were "sagging over her parched plants" and "heat wavers off tar patches in the broiling alleyway." Descriptions such as these evoke the overwhelming heat. I can feel the heat and can visualize people suffering from the oppressive heat. They need relief from this summer heat. I wanted an iced tea or lemonade while reading this story because I thought of what a 90 degree day is like.

Set in the city, I received the impression that the little girl and her mom didn't have air conditioning. A slight breeze from the window is portrayed in one of the pictures as well as a wide-open window, so the overwhelming heat seems to carry into the house. The book does not set a specific time period, but I had the feeling that this story was set in the 1970s. A phonograph is still in Miz Glick's "stuff cave of her room" for example. The little girl and her mom are always wearing dresses too.

The watercolor pictures capture the summer days in its full glory. The dark clouds and then the raindrops emerge and cover the page. A fun read, Come on Rain! would be great for a read-aloud with young kindergarten or first-grade students when talking about the weather or the summer. For example, what would you do if you didn't have air-conditioning? Do you ever play in the rain? Come on Rain! would also be a great book to just to read for fun.