Title: A Beautifully Illustrated Ode to Nature and Imagination

Rating: ★★★★★

"A Place for Rain" by Michelle Schaub, with enchanting illustrations by Blanca Gómez, is a delightful exploration of the natural world, wrapped in the imaginative musings of a young child. This book is a harmonious blend of lyrical storytelling and captivating artwork that captivates both young and adult readers.

The story follows a child's journey as they contemplate the role of rain in the world. Michelle Schaub's poetic prose is both evocative and educational, introducing young readers to the wonders of the water cycle and the importance of rain for our planet. The narrative is both accessible and informative, making it an excellent resource for parents and educators seeking to foster a love of science and nature in children.

Blanca Gómez's illustrations are nothing short of breathtaking. The vibrant and whimsical artwork perfectly complements the text, immersing readers in the child's imaginative world. Gómez's ability to capture the essence of the story through her visuals is truly remarkable, and each page is a work of art in itself.

What sets "A Place for Rain" apart is its ability to merge scientific curiosity with a child's sense of wonder and creativity. It encourages young readers to explore and appreciate the natural world around them. The book's themes of conservation and environmental awareness are subtly interwoven into the narrative, making it a valuable addition to any library, school, or home.

This book is more than just a story; it's an invitation to connect with nature and to nurture the curiosity and creativity of young minds. "A Place for Rain" is a beautiful, educational, and inspiring book that deserves a place on every child's bookshelf. It not only celebrates the magic of rain but also the boundless possibilities of a child's imagination. Michelle Schaub and Blanca Gómez have created a masterpiece that is sure to be cherished by readers of all ages.

This is such a cute and educational picture book! I’m still a sucker for rhyming and lyrical children’s books despite the trend in the industry otherwise. My husband is a civil engineer whose job is to make sure water goes where it’s supposed to, so this will be the perfect book for our baby boy who will be here very soon! The illustrations were lovely too.

Young children need picture books like this to help them understand caring for the environment. The way schools teach about precipitation can be dull, but this colorful book explores the good and bad aspects of water. We learn that rain can mix with oil and dirt, run into our streams and pollute them. The book teaches how to catch clean rainwater and use it to grow a nurturing garden for birds and young animals.

This is a fun, charming, whimsical book. The illustrations are colorful and engaging. My son and I especially enjoyed the beautiful flowers. This is a fun way for young readers to understand how flowers grow and how the process of watering works. A fun and educational book.

Great book to show kids some of the options we have available to better care for the Earth when it comes to rain. We can create beautiful options for rainfall and help prevent flooding and mess!

Love love love this book!!! Will definitely be purchasing -for my daughter’s library, classroom and to have on hand as birthday gifts!! Love the repetitive language “ plink, plop, plop.” Definitely will be a highlight for early readers!! The illustrations are beautiful and what a powerful message and motivating a future generation with steps they can take!! Can’t wait for its release!!

Students in my first grade class loved this book. They had this to say about it:
"The book was so good."
"I like the style of the illustrations."
"Beautiful!"
"I like all those colors."
"The book was so detailed."
"I learned that plants need water and soil."
"I like the way that the heads were really round."
"I like the way they put the words in the trees."
"I think everyone would like this book."

I appreciated the topic - this is something many do not know about as a great solution to pollution. Rain gardens are not super common yet and hopefully this book will help more people learn how helpful they can be and encourage them to build one at their home or school. The illustrations of this book are fantastic also! Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Great sound words and rhyming throughout. It will make a fabulous read-aloud with preschool and kindergarten aged children. I will be acquiring it for my school library.

Rain, community and rhyme. Not only showing us beauty, but also action. This little book carries a larger message about our agency in the world around us, and our ability to affect change. Where it would be easy to have a heavy or judging tone, this book keeps a light airy feel and a general sense of wonder and curiosity that is refreshing and worthwhile cultivating. I particularly appreciate the addition of native plants, and the children taking part in the design of the space and approaching the collective community act as an engineering problem to solve, and not simply something beautiful and kind (while it is also both of those things). I am not always fond of rhyming and sing-song feeling in picture books, but the lyrics here were delightful and the tone was held throughout in a way I found rewarding and lovely. The after notes are detailed and scientific in a way that is accessible and calls for the reader to take action in their home and own community spaces. All around a celebration of community, musical language and growing with nature.

I read this book to my 5 year old and she loved it! Beautiful illustrations and vocabulary words to teach children about. I really like the science concepts in this book for little ones to learn about. Perfect book for a good science lesson.

A wonderful picture book about the important work that rainy days do. The simple, rhyming text makes it a great selection for toddler - 1st graders and the illustrations are a joy. It is also a wonderful Earth Day book about how we can collect and use rain.

I received an electronic ARC from W. W. Norton & Company through NetGalley.
Schaub takes readers on an adventure in the rain. They see it start softly and then move through the different types of rain to a downpour. Charming artwork captures the fun and joy even when getting wet. Then, the book takes a more serious turn as readers see what happens when rain picks up oil, dirt and other chemicals and carries them to the rivers and oceans. I appreciate the final part of the book where the author shows readers how to create rain barrels that catch rain and then overflow into a created stream path to a garden. Schaub takes the time to explain why this works at each step in language younger readers will understand. The final page spread offers informative text for adults on how to create rain gardens. A family read to talk about protecting resources.