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Hello, Rain!

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Hello, Rain! by Kyo Maclear
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Children

Did you know that rain can be savored, enjoyed? As an adult, I primarily think of how not to get wet when it rains. Yet this book is a celebration of rain! With bright and cheery illustration, the author describes all that happens and all that a person could do when it rains, both indoors and out. She introduces the reader to the adventure of rain.  What does it sound like?  What does rain do?  How can we experience it? And how can we make it a special experience indoors too?

Kyo Maclear invites everyone to slow down and take in their encounter with weather.  I found that even just reading about rain was a delight.

And you can find Hello, Rain! right here!

After Sundown

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After Sundown by Linda Howard and Linda Jones
Who it’s for: Adults
Format: Book

Sela, the reclusive owner of a general store in the eastern Tennessee Mountains finds safety in solitude, Ben the mysterious ex-military man living alone in the wilds of Cove Mountain may be the only man that can break through her protective shell.  For years, he’s kept his distance from Sela and other not really communicating with anyone in the small town that sits below his mountain top home.  Then one day Ben appears at Sela,s store to warn her about the impending solar storm threat, capable of taking down the power grids in communities across the globe.  Sela must now find the strength and courage to step up and become the leader of Wears Valley, the small town where she lives with her aunt, cousin and a community of people that have known her most of her life.  She and Ben discover that in the dark, cut off from the outside world, danger brings together a community of people determined to survive a new way of life.   Along with two guarded hearts in a battle for survival where there is no more playing it safe–in life or in love.  This story had me thing about what if something similar happened around this community?  Would we know how to survive in this situation or would there be panic and chaos like there was with the pandemic and the threat of gas shortages.

Find After Sundown in the catalog!

 

Desert Girl, Monsoon boy

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Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy by Tara Dairman, illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan
Format: Book
Who Its For: Kids

At first glance their lives couldn’t be more different. The nomad girl in the blistering dry desert fetches water and tends the camels, taking shelter from the howling sandstorms in her tent. The village boy in the green fields goes to school and tends the goats. He runs home as the monsoon rains begin, helping his family to seal the door and lift their belongings out of rising floodwaters. But as severe weather takes hold, as one family and their animals need water and the other needs dry safe ground, both families journey to the mountains, where they meet and celebrate their safety.
An eye-opening story of two branches of the Rabari people in India; the traditional nomadic herders of the desert and those settled in permanent villages who raise goats. Both groups struggle with weather extremes and climate change which threaten their livelihoods and lives . Author Archana Sreenivasan took special care to accurately portray the cultural distinctions between these two clans and her renderings are just beautiful. I love the illustrations in this story, especially the faces!

Find it in the catalog!

Pup and Bear

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Submitted by Ms. Sue!

Pup and Bear by Kate Banks, illustrated by Naoko Stoop. The Arctic is a big place. The Arctic wolves know that the Big Freeze is on its way. They shelter in a snowdrift. When the bitter-cold turns warm and the Big Melt begins, one lone little wolf pup finds himself afloat on a sheet of ice. He slides into the water and swims and swims until he finally reaches land. He pulls himself onto a snowbank and falls asleep. When he wakes he is face to face with Polar bear. “Will you eat me?” he asks. “Not this bear.” She takes him to her den where she licks him, cleans him, feeds, and keeps him warm. “I am not your mother but I can keep you safe.” Another Big Freeze comes and goes. The bear nudges the wolf who is not a pup anymore. The wolf nuzzles back. Then the wolf sets out into the big wide world. The wolf finds other wolves. Soon he is leading his own pack when he comes across a polar bear cub huddled in a snowdrift. “Where is your mother?” But the cub didn’t know. The wolf sniffs the cub and rubs its fur with a wet nose. “I am not your mother,” said the wolf, “but I can cuddle you and keep you warm.” See this book listed in our catalog

Before Morning

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Submitted by Ms. Josie!

Who doesn’t love a good snow day? For some, a snow day means not having to go to school, sipping hot chocolate, or building snowmen. For others, a snow day is a chance to stay home and snuggle close to loved ones. In Before Morning by Joyce Sidman the young daughter of a pilot wishes for a snowfall that will shut down the airport just for one day. Wishing “just this once–change the world before morning,” the young girl gets her wish as her mother returns home from the airport. Together, the young girl and her parents enjoy a family snow day full of sledding, cuddling by the fire, and eating warm desserts. Written in the form of an invocation, a poem that invites something to happen, this heartwarming tale reminds us of the power of words. This book is a quick read in terms of the amount of text, and the muted tones of the illustrations mimic the dreamy and slow pace of falling snow. See this book listed in our catalog

Monster Needs a Christmas Tree

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Submitted by Ms. Brenda!

In Monster Needs a Christmas Tree by Paul Czajak, Monster sets out to get a Christmas tree. On the way to the tree lot, so many joyful things keep Monster from his mission. Sitting on Santa’s lap, sled riding, snowman building, with the inevitable snowball fight, and general snow merriment are hard to resist! Monster was having so much fun that when he finally got to the tree lot the last tree was being carried off by someone else. OH, NO! It was a long and sad walk home, but once he got inside, Monster had a brilliant idea! He gathered every houseplant he could find and he “built” a one-of-a-kind Christmas tree. Now, I wonder if Santa will leave Monster a present under his homemade tree. Take a fun-filled, rhyming romp with this book and find out! See this book listed in our catalog