It's been rainy here in New Hampshire these past couple of weeks, and my toddler-age son is eager for more sunny summer days ahead. In the meantime, he insists I read Red Rubber Boot Day by NH author Mary Lyn Ray to him on those rainy days. It's become one of his favorite books and inspired us to pull on our rubber boots and stomp around in some puddles too!
"I press my nose against the screen / and smell the smell of screen and rain." Ray brings to life the highlights of a small boy's rainy day told from the child's point of view. Indoors with his cat, the boy crayons, builds with blocks, plays with dishes and cars, reads, and pretends that the closet is a cave. Finally venturing out into his yard, he splashes around in the puddles with his red rubber boots. Although the ending is less satisfying than the wonderfully evocative first line quoted above, the book as a whole does a fine job of conjuring up a familiar childhood experience. The short text and appealing subject make this picture book accessible to young children. Stringer's acrylic paintings are as vivid as the text. The pictures bring a child's world up close as they evoke the sights and sensations of the day. The illustrations work smoothly with the text to make this a very effective picture book for reading aloud. -- Carolyn Phelan, Booklist
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