I Am the Rain

by John Paterson

Overview

The perfect water cycle book for kids and the ideal rain book for children!

Learning becomes fun with this book about water for kids! In this incredible earth day book for kids, amazing artwork and interesting backmatter will have readers gaining a deep appreciation for the world around us!

Water is always changing—from rain to rivers, fog to thunderheads and snowflakes to ocean waves. John Paterson's lyrical verses present water in its many colors, shapes, and forms as it follows its natural cycle through the seasons. Along the way, water speaks for itself: "Because of me the land is green. I'm why the sky is blue. All of life depends on me. I'm even part of you." John's evocative illustrations highlight water's many moods. Teachers and parents will appreciate the Explore More section in the back of the book that includes "The Science Behind the Poetry," STEM activities, water conservation tips, and more

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781584696193
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	03/01/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	74 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

As a child, John Paterson was fascinated by the changing form, steady purpose, and life-giving magic of water. Later, he chased rivers throughout the country as a white-water kayaker and raft guide. Professionally, he has helped craft stories of nature and culture for museums and other educational organizations including the Field Museum and the Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago. He lives with his wife and two children in Northbrook, Illinois.

Editorial Reviews

03/19/2018
The water cycle is often a source of fascination for young readers. Here, Paterson crafts a poetic, visually affecting ode to the work of water, narrated by water itself. An African-American child gazes out her rain-glazed window: “Sometimes I’m the rain cloud and sometimes I’m the rain,” the poem begins. A spread shows white-water rafters careening down a waterfall. The water then becomes a wave at the beach: “Once I was a waterfall/ but now I’m just a wave./ At high tide I’m the breaking swell/ that daring surfers brave.” Paterson switches up the format with a long, vertical view of canyons and a comet passing overhead: “You’ll find me/ in the comet high/ circling the stars./ I’m also carving canyons deep/ on Earth and cousin Mars.” Paterson’s luminous, saturated paintings provide both a sense of openness and textural detail, while the poem demonstrates how water exists in and connects all things, even people. Back matter—including an infographic on the water cycle—and science-based q&as smoothly dovetail with the pensive tone of Paterson’s words and images. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

2018-01-13
Through many types of weather and the different seasons, water tells readers about its many forms. "Sometimes I'm the rain cloud / and sometimes I'm the rain." Water can make rainbows and can appear to be different colors. Water is a waterfall, a wave, an ocean swell, a frozen pond, the snow on your nose, a cloud, frost, a comet, a part of you. Throughout, Paterson's rhyming verses evoke images of their own: "Soon the summer sun is back / and warms me with its rays. / I rise in rumbling thunderheads / like castles in the haze," though at times word order seems to have been chosen for rhyme rather than meaning ("In fall I sink into a fog / and blanket chilly fields, / with pumpkins touched by morning frost / the harvest season yields"). Backmatter includes a diagram of the water cycle that introduces and describes each step with solid vocabulary, including "Collection" as a step in the process; "The Science Behind the Poetry," which unpacks some of the poetic language and phrases; some water activities and explorations; conservation tips; and a list of other books from the publisher about water. Paterson's full- and double-page-spread illustrations are just as magical as his verse, showing water in its many forms from afar and close up. Few people appear on his pages, but the vast majority of those are people of color. A lyrical and educational look at the water cycle. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews