Downpour

? ""Ohnari and Hata tell the story of a young person’s encounter with a summer rainstorm. One scorching day, “the ground’s burning hot,” the sun casting brilliant light and sharp shadows as thunderclouds roll in. The rain begins (“BADA-BADA-BADA. PLIP. PLIP. BADA”), dripping on the child’s big yellow umbrella. “My umbrella’s a drum!” the East Asian–cued protagonist exclaims as text renders enthusiastic onomatopoeia in bright yellow type whose size conveys volume. The rain becomes a downpour, and the sounds intensify. “There are so many sounds. The rain is singing!” the child says. A new spread shows the action amid insect-covered greenery in which the raindrops become size-distorting lenses. Water splashes up as the figure relinquishes the umbrella, jumping in puddles and raising their face to the deluge. Soon, the shower is over, and the child finds a way to re-create the event indoors. Spreads and text voice the energy and joy of perceiving a storm as a part of the world that’s very much alive: “Everything’s sopping wet. But sopping wet feels good.” starred review * Publishers Weekly * ? ""Vivid illustrations and enthusiastic prose evoke the suprise and awe of a summer rainstorm. . . The rain's gentle ""Plip! Plip! Plip!"" builds into a frantic percussion, the onomatopoeic sounds spelled out in bright yellow text against the darkening sky. . . A joyful and and refreshing multisensory experience."" starred review * The Horn Book Magazine * An onomatopoeic account of the joys of a sudden summer rain . . . A delightful, sensory-rich appreciation of a childhood pleasure. * Kirkus Reviews *