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Samantha R. Vamos is the author of Alphabet Boats, Alphabet Trains, Alphabet Trucks (illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke), The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred (illustrated by Rafael L pez) - 2012 Pura Belpre Illustration Honor - its companion book, The Pinata That The Farm Maiden Hung (illustrated by Sebasti Serra), and Before You Were Here, Mi Amor (2009, illustrated by Santiago Cohen). Samantha previously worked as an attorney, practicing in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, IL. Samantha was born in the Midwest, grew up on the east coast, and lived in the Pacific Northwest before moving to the Bay Area with her husband, son, and their rescue puppy, Bowie. Visit Samantha online at www.samanthavamos.com. For many years Ryan O'Rourke's illustrations have appeared in galleries, newspapers, and magazines, including a weekly illustration for the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. One Big Rain marks Ryan's foray into children's picture books. He makes his home in Connecticut.
A cheerful rhyming text and painterly illustrations created in Adobe Photoshop offer young readers a different train for each letter of the alphabet. The simple text is straightforward without letting the rhyme become cloying: G is for Glacier Express, /a scenic, alpine glide./H is for Hurricane Turn./Wave a flag to catch a ride. Each train is featured on its own page, allowing the page turns to reveal the next type of train. A spread ends the book by giving factual information for each of the trains depicted, further enhancing the book s appeal to train enthusiasts. VERDICT Pair this with Donald Crews s Freight Train (Greenwillow,1978) and Margaret Wise Brown s Two Little Trains (HarperCollins, 2001) illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, for a high-speed storytime.- School Library Journal
