My Rainy Day Rocket Ship

by Markette Sheppard, Charly Palmer (Illustrator)

Overview

Rainy summer days are no match for a little astronaut who builds the perfect rocket ship for an indoor space adventure to another galaxy, where the sky is his only limit!

A stormy afternoon and an order from Mom to stay inside are no match for this little dreamer, who uses everyday household items—a rocket chair, a cardboard box, an old dish rag, and a super-duper imagination—to whip up a trip around the universe he won’t soon forget.

My Rainy Day Rocket Ship is a high-spirited, engaging salute to the imagination of Black boys who use their beautiful minds to transform the mundane into the extraordinary, dream out loud, and boldly go where their sky is the only limit.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534461772
Publisher:	Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/05/2020
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,078,858
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Markette Sheppard is an Emmy Award–winning journalist and children’s book author. Her bestselling debut book, What Is Light?, inspired children to discover the light within through everyday surroundings. Markette is also founder of The GLOW Brands, LLC, a media company aimed at illuminating perspectives around the world. She earned a master of arts degree in interactive journalism from American University in Washington, DC, and a bachelor’s in communications and French from California State University Dominguez Hills. Markette lives in Maryland with her husband and son.

Charly Palmer, a graduate of the American Academy of Art, is a nationally recognized fine artist whose work is in private and public collections, including those of McDonald’s Corporation, the Coca-Cola Company, and Vanderbilt University. His illustrative work for Mama Africa! earned him the 2018 Coretta Scott King Illustrator of the Year award. Palmer’s art is inspired by his children and grandchildren. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Editorial Reviews

03/30/2020

Bright, full-bleed paintings by Palmer (I Can Write the World) power this tale by Sheppard (What Is Light?) about low-tech play. Bold strokes portray a black child gazing out the window, hand absentmindedly on the head of his comedic sidekick, a small pug. Loosely rhyming verse explains the book’s dilemma: rainy weather, inside play, nothing to do, then a light bulb and growing excitement: “Today I’ll make something/ really tough—// Like a whole new world/ in a different place—/a galaxy off in/ outer space!” A rocking chair and a cardboard box, tools from Dad (who, with his well-equipped workshop, offers thoughtful help), swimming trunks and goggles for a spacesuit, and a dish towel for a flag all make a promising rocket trip: “These will surely/ serve me well./ On this mission,/ I cannot fail.” The child’s parents show up for the big launch. Loose, chiming lines supply the framework for Palmer’s dynamic brushwork, which creates mass and motion while also lingering, on a more contemplative note, on the light that falls over the child’s face. Sheppard’s emphasis is on making—and on making do with what’s at hand—creative play that is nurtured by supportive parents (and one amusing, licking dog). Ages 4–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"The illustrations love this black family, highlighting the glow of their skin and luxuriating in the narrator's abundant, textured curls. The lavish application of paint—broader than in most picture books—means this will show especially well in a group setting. Rhythmic storytelling and gorgeous illustrations make this a delight." - Kirkus

"Boredom is the mother of invention in this playful story. Using rhyming and near-rhyming text, Sheppard tells the story of a young boy who plans an imaginary voyage to outer space. His fond parents come to cheer on the launch, and then it’s off to bed for the little one. The verse brims with childlike enthusiasm...Thick expressionist lines and swirls in Palmer’s illustrations create a lively effect, particularly in images of the boy, who has dark skin, and his family." - School Library Journal

From the Publisher

05/01/2020

PreS-Gr 1—Boredom is the mother of invention in this playful story. Using rhyming and near-rhyming text, Sheppard tells the story of a young boy who plans an imaginary voyage to outer space. His fond parents come to cheer on the launch, and then it's off to bed for the little one. The verse brims with childlike enthusiasm. A piece of stereotyping is the one misstep; the child borrows "tools from Dad" and "Mom's old dishrag," as if housework is exclusively the mother's domain. Thick expressionist lines and swirls in Palmer's illustrations create a lively effect, particularly in images of the boy, who has dark skin, and his family. VERDICT A fun choice for bedtime or library storytime, marred by a moment of unfortunate gender stereotyping.—Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library

School Library Journal

2020-02-09
Painterly oils accompany rhyming verse to describe one imaginative child’s rainy-day adventure.

A child and the family dog are stuck inside on a wet day and must find alternative ways to entertain themselves. Tried-and-true toys like cars, teddy bears, and balls are fun for a time, but after a while, the youth must find something with a bit more heft. Reaching into the farthest corners of the imagination, the child conjures “a whole new world / in a different place— / a galaxy off in / outer space!” Scanning the room, the child identifies a rocking chair as the perfect rocket ship. To create the launching pad, the child borrows some of Dad’s tools and a cardboard box full of socks. For a cool spacesuit, the child finds some patterned yellow swim trunks and goggles. For a flag, the child uses “Mom’s old dishrag.” With some additional help from Mom and Dad, the launch is an incredible success. An old broom provides thrust down the hall. The child lands perfectly in bed and prepares for a “safe arrival” in the “Land of ZZZZZZs.” The illustrations love this black family, highlighting the glow of their skin and luxuriating in the narrator’s abundant, textured curls. The lavish application of paint—broader than in most picture books—means this will show especially well in a group setting.

Rhythmic storytelling and gorgeous illustrations make this a delight. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews