Listen to the Rain

by Bill Martin Jr, James Endicott (Illustrator)

Overview

Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault evoke the beauty and the mystery, and the sounds and the silences— of rain.

Listen to the rain,

the whisper of the rain,

the slow soft sprinkle,

the drip-drop tinkle,

the first wet whisper of the rain.

Their marvelous ear for the melodies and rhythm of language, combined with James Endicott's spare, almost abstract paintings, have created a lyrical book with a haunting power— perfect for reading aloud on a rainy day.

An NCTE Notable Trade Book for the Language Arts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805006827
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	11/15/1988
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.26(w) x 10.42(h) x 0.47(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Bill Martin, Jr. (1916-2004) was an elementary-school principal, teacher, writer, and poet. His more than 300 books, among them the bestselling classics Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?; Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?; and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, are a testament to his ability to speak directly to children. Martin held a doctoral degree in early childhood education. Born in Kansas, he worked as an elementary-school principal in Chicago before moving to New York City, where he worked in publishing developing innovative reading programs for schools. After several years, he devoted himself full-time to writing his children’s books. He lived in New York until 1993, when he moved to Texas. He lived in the east Texas woods, near the town of Commerce, until he passed away in 2004.

James Endicott's editorial illustrations have appeared in Time, the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times, Bon Appétit, and many other national publications. He lives in Texas.

John Archambault has collaborated on several successful picture books, including The Ghost-Eye Tree, Barn Dance!, and Knots on a Counting Rope. With Bill Martin Jr. he wrote Listen to the Rain and The Magic Pumpkin.

Editorial Reviews

Another lyrical book— this time a rhyming story about rain....A book that parents, teachers, and children will read again and again and again.” —School Library Journal, starred review

From the Publisher

The text and art of this striking picture book seem at odds, but only at first glance. Martin and Archambault's rhythmical and onomatopoetic language playfully describes the sound of rainfrom the beginning ``slow soft sprinkle, / the drip-drop tinkle'' to the ``dripping dripping dropping / the slowly slowly stopping / the fresh / wet / silent / after-time / of rain.'' The paintings, on the other hand, do not offer verisimilitude but contain instead a series of arresting, stylized images. The ``thunder-crashing / sounding pounding roaring rain,'' for example, is illustrated by a forked curve of lightning with a single claw and feather against a storm-pink sky. The juxtaposition of melody and delicate, almost abstract designs offers children new ways of listening and seeing. Ages 5-8. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

PreS-Gr 2 Martin and Archambault have teamed up to create another lyrical bookthis time a rhyming story about rain. The book is brief, yet each page is so much fun to read that children won't feel shortchanged. Endicott's double-page watercolors in hues of blue and red capture both the quiet and the angry moods of a rain. His portrayal of ``the lightning-flashing/ thunder-crashing/ sounding pounding roaring rain'' is elegant in its simplicitya thunderbolt, a falling leaf, and a large claw are drawn against a pink-hued wash. Creative children will love these illustrations. Although the artwork is a perfect complement to the text, the authors' lyrical words can stand alone and probably will be memorized by many children who will be fascinated by the sounds and inner rhyme scheme. The words literally roll off the tongue: ``Listen to the quietude,/ the silence and the solitude/ of after-rain,/ the dripping dripping dropping/ the slowly slowly stopping/ the fresh/ wet/ silent/ after-time/ of rain.'' A book that parents, teachers, and children will read again and again and again. Barbara S. McGinn, Oak Hill Elementary School, Severna Park, Md

School Library Journal