Children's Bookshelf: And Then It Rained

by Crescent Dragonwagon

illustrated by Diane Greenseid

This is one of the most fascinating children's books I have read in a while! It is like two picture books in one. "And then it Rained" starts out with the story of a town where it started to rain...and rain and rain and rain. We read about all the things the people in the town do when it rains, things they have forgotten about during the long hot summer. Then a little boy begins to complain about all the rain and wonders when it will stop. His father tells him of the cycle of the weather,

"Rain brings sun and sun brings rain. Then it turns around again."

The little boy just wants the sun to come out. Then the book tells you to do something unexpected...

"close the book, flip it over, and see!"

Then starts a new story, "And then the Sun Came Out"

This is the story of a town where the sun comes out bright and shiny. The sun stays for days...and days and days and days. And it gets hotter and hotter. We read about all the things the people in the town do with the sun is out, things they have forgotten about during the long days of rain. Then a little boy begins to complain about the hot sun...

I was a little skeptical about this book at first, but the (literal) twist in the story really changed my mind! Children will enjoy flipping the book over and starting from a new perspective. And as the story explains the back and forth cycle of rain, so the book goes back and forth as long as you will keep reading.

With beautiful, captivated illustrations and creative characters, this book will delight your children over and over again.