The Rhythm of the Rain

PreS-Gr 2–Stunning full-bleed digital illustrations depict the story of water and its cycles. Young Isaac, accompanied by his white lamb, has a net and is putting little fish into a jar filled with water when the rain begins. After emptying it into the pool, the boy races downhill along a stream that he imagines contains the water from his jar. The stream meets a river that flows through the countryside and a big city before becoming part of the ocean. The importance of water to humans, land animals, and sea creatures is emphasized. A whale swims and hunts near an iceberg, zebras and elephants drink near a waterfall while an African village celebrates the return of the rain. The text tells of water’s cyclical nature, that it runs in deep currents far under the earth’s surface but can be heated by the sun’s rays and become mist. “The mist cools and gathers into a cloud that floats over a mountain in a country far, far away from Isaac’s pool.” Large detailed pictures show a variety of perspectives from deep in the ocean to an eagle’s perch high above a river. The tale comes full circle as the “wandering water” becomes rain that soaks the flowers near Isaac’s pool.