April Showers

Rainy days may make parents rethink plans to take their kids to the park, but kids will jump at the chance to pull on their rain boots and splash in some puddles. Enjoy these great books about rain before you pop up your favorite umbrella and step outside to enjoy the next drizzly day.

Blue on Blue uses simple text to explore a swelling rainstorm and its fun, muddy results. Caldecott-winning illustrator Beth Krommes' drawings lend a sweetly old-fashioned tone to the seaside setting of the story. The tempo of the rhyming text reflects the strength of the storm, giving a sensory thrill when read aloud.

It looks like a great day for kids and farm animals to enjoy a ride in Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car until a sudden storm surprises them. When the traveling buddies get stuck in the mud, no one wants to get out and push, but it takes teamwork to save the day.

Mr. Gumpy's Motor Car is available in multiple formats.

An older man and a young boy wake up to Rain! When they step outside in different parts of the city, the man's grumpiness leaves people frowning while the happy-go-lucky boy in his frog hat creates smiles wherever he goes. Whose opinion of the wet weather will win when they meet?

Find a variety of answers to the question Who Likes the Rain? as a diverse group of children explore the wet world around them. Lifting the flaps for the science behind rainy topics from raindrop shapes to how snails grow shells, will satisfy young readers’ curiosity.

What is your favorite rainy day activity?