Listen to the Rain

( 1 )

Overview

Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault evoke the beauty and the mystery, and the sounds and the silences— of rain.

Listen to the rain,

the whisper of the rain,

the slow soft sprinkle,

the drip-drop tinkle,

the first wet whisper of the rain.

Their marvelous ear for the melodies and rhythm of language, combined with James Endicott's spare, almost abstract paintings, have created a lyrical book with a haunting power— ...

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More About This Book

Overview

Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault evoke the beauty and the mystery, and the sounds and the silences— of rain.

Listen to the rain,

the whisper of the rain,

the slow soft sprinkle,

the drip-drop tinkle,

the first wet whisper of the rain.

Their marvelous ear for the melodies and rhythm of language, combined with James Endicott's spare, almost abstract paintings, have created a lyrical book with a haunting power— perfect for reading aloud on a rainy day.

An NCTE Notable Trade Book for the Language Arts.

Describes the changing sounds of the rain, the slow soft sprinkle, the drip-drop tinkle, the sounding pounding roaring rain, and the fresh wet silent after-time of rain.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
The text and art of this striking picture book seem at odds, but only at first glance. Martin and Archambault's rhythmical and onomatopoetic language playfully describes the sound of rainfrom the beginning ``slow soft sprinkle, / the drip-drop tinkle'' to the ``dripping dripping dropping / the slowly slowly stopping / the fresh / wet / silent / after-time / of rain.'' The paintings, on the other hand, do not offer verisimilitude but contain instead a series of arresting, stylized images. The ``thunder-crashing / sounding pounding roaring rain,'' for example, is illustrated by a forked curve of lightning with a single claw and feather against a storm-pink sky. The juxtaposition of melody and delicate, almost abstract designs offers children new ways of listening and seeing. Ages 5-8. (Oct.)
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2 Martin and Archambault have teamed up to create another lyrical bookthis time a rhyming story about rain. The book is brief, yet each page is so much fun to read that children won't feel shortchanged. Endicott's double-page watercolors in hues of blue and red capture both the quiet and the angry moods of a rain. His portrayal of ``the lightning-flashing/ thunder-crashing/ sounding pounding roaring rain'' is elegant in its simplicitya thunderbolt, a falling leaf, and a large claw are drawn against a pink-hued wash. Creative children will love these illustrations. Although the artwork is a perfect complement to the text, the authors' lyrical words can stand alone and probably will be memorized by many children who will be fascinated by the sounds and inner rhyme scheme. The words literally roll off the tongue: ``Listen to the quietude,/ the silence and the solitude/ of after-rain,/ the dripping dripping dropping/ the slowly slowly stopping/ the fresh/ wet/ silent/ after-time/ of rain.'' A book that parents, teachers, and children will read again and again and again. Barbara S. McGinn, Oak Hill Elementary School, Severna Park, Md

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780800068868
  • Publisher: Perma-Bound Books
  • Publication date: 1/28/1988
  • Format: Library Binding
  • Age range: 5 - 8 Years

Meet the Author

Bill Martin Jr.

Bill Martin, Jr. (1916-2004) was an elementary-school principal, teacher, writer, and poet. His more than 300 books, among them the bestselling classics Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?; Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?; and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, are a testament to his ability to speak directly to children. Martin held a doctoral degree in early childhood education. Born in Kansas, he worked as an elementary-school principal in Chicago before moving to New York City, where he worked in publishing developing innovative reading programs for schools. After several years, he devoted himself full-time to writing his children’s books. He lived in New York until 1993, when he moved to Texas. He lived in the east Texas woods, near the town of Commerce, until he passed away in 2004.

 

John Archambault is a poet, journalist, and storyteller, who worked with Bill Martin, Jr. on such outstanding books as Up and Down the Merry-Go-Round, The Ghost-Eye Tree, Knots on a Counting Rope, and Barn Dance! He lives in California.

 

James Endicott's illustrations have appeared in Time, the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times, Bon Appétit, and many other national publications. He lives in Texas.

Customer Reviews

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