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FIRST RAIN

Name: FIRST RAIN
Author: Charlotte Herman
ISBN: 978-0-8075-2453-4

by Charlotte Herman & illustrated by Kathryn Mitter ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2010

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When Abby and her family move to Israel, it is both a sad and a happy day. Abby will miss her grandma and the rainy, splashy outings they would take wearing duck-yellow raincoats. But Abby is also very excited to start a new life in the land of her ancestors and, with a flurry of e-mails and letters, keeps her grandma updated on her new home, new Hebrew words, new friends, new foods and new sights. The summer dry weather finally gives way to the first rain just as the new school year opens, bringing Abby not only relief from the heat but a surprise visit from her grandmother ready to share in some showery fun. Mitter’s bright full-page acrylics accentuate emotions and the themes of family relationships as the little girl acclimates while maintaining a connection to her former life. This agreeable story also provides some insight into such Israeli essentials as the market (shuk), the Dead Sea and the Western Wall. A sentimental and perhaps idyllic journey filled with the promise of love and fresh beginnings. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 1, 2010

ISBN: 978-0-8075-2453-4

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Whitman

Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2010

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

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MY CHOCOLATE YEAR
by Charlotte Herman & illustrated by LeUyen Pham

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HOW YUSSEL CAUGHT THE GEFILTE FISH
by Charlotte Herman

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MAX MALONE, SUPERSTAR
by Charlotte Herman & illustrated by Cat Bowman Smith

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THE WORLD NEEDS THE WONDER YOU SEE

by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 28, 2025

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children.

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Interior decorator and TV personality Gaines invites readers to open their eyes and exercise their imaginations.

There’s a world to be explored out there—and only children can really take part. What does “looking for wonder” entail? Slowing down and looking up, around, and everywhere. At the outset, a group of eager, racially diverse young friends—including one who uses a wheelchair—are fully prepared for a grand adventure. They offer tips about how and where to look: Why, there’s a “grand parade” of marching ants! And, these kids add, perspective is key. A rainy day might signal gloom to some, but to those filled with wonder, showers bring “magic puddles for play”; a forest is “an enchanted world,” the ocean conceals “a spectacular city,” and the night sky boasts “extraordinary sights.” The takeaway: “Wonder is never in short supply.” It’s a robust, empowering message, as is the exhortation to “keep your mind open, and let curiosity guide the way.” Youngsters are also advised to share their discoveries. The upbeat narrative is delivered in clunky verse, but the colorful cartoonish illustrations brimming with activity and good cheer (including some adorable anthropomorphized animals in the backgrounds) make up for the textual lapses and should motivate readers to embark on their own “wonder explorations.”

Handy advice for perpetually inquisitive children. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Jan. 28, 2025

ISBN: 9781400247417

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE WORLD NEEDS WHO YOU WERE MADE TO BE
by Joanna Gaines ; illustrated by Julianna Swaney

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)