Come On, Rain! (1999)

       The first half of Karen Hesse’s ComeOn, Rain!  (1999) has us wilting in the sun. Young Tessie is “sizzling like a hot potato”. There’s been no rain for three weeks. “Up and down the block, cats pant, heat wavers off tar patches in the broiling alleyway. . .” References to cool water sneak into the narrative in anticipation of a storm that finally drenches Tessie and her friends. Mammas and children dance in the rain.

     Karen Hess tells of a compassionate and clever child who cannot change the weather (or can she?) but can lead others to relief and joy. At the same time, Hesse’s intentional word choice honor assonance, simile, and vocabulary soaked in connotation. Jon J Muth’s subtle watercolor illustrations focus on the characters because this isn’t a picture book about the weather. It’s about the effect weather has on people. It’s a book for our time.

  

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Won't-Take-a-Bath Cure (1947)

    This 1999 Scholastic publication of of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Won't-Take-a-Bath Cure by Betty MacDonald is adapted from the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Books. The obvious silliness at the beginning of the story sets the stage for Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s won't-take-a-bath-cure. It’s a cartoonish absurdity that allows readers to laugh at the pranks Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s cat, Lightfoot, plays on her dog Wag. We need to imagine Wag surprised but unhurt so that we can imagine Patsy Brown surprised but unhurt by the prank adults play on her. And Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle is a friendly, local celebrity who would never hand out harmful advice. When she proposes the Radish Cure we can expect a humorous lesson awaits.

     Patsy Brown's anxious parents patiently wait for her to learn a lesson about filth. One morning she yells, “’ I won't ever take a bath! I hate baths! I HATE BATHS.’” And she doesn’t take a bath—for weeks. The dirt that collects on her face and in her hair has social consequences, but Patsy doesn’t seem to mind. Finally, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle’s prank sends Patsy running into the shower.

I used to have a Picture Book Talk for this story, but then I decided I didn't like how the lesson of the story seemed at the expense of the child. 

     

Song of the Swallows (1948)

     Leo Politi’s Song of the Swallows (1948) is for readers who value old books.  Old stories give readers a glimpse into history and encourage conversation about differences between then and now. This book includes two songs.

          The setting for this story is Capistrano, California, now called San Juan Capistrano. This story says Brothers of Saint Francis built many mission churches with “the help of the Indians”. This perspective will spark conversation from readers who view history differently.

        Politi captures a time when swallows were abundant at the mission. “There were hundreds of them nesting beneath the roof-beams above the arches and their twittering filled the gardens with the sweetest music.” Here the story invites research into bird migration, environmental change, and avian conservation.

       Young Juan bridges contrasts between past and present by demonstrating caring respect for the swallows. We need his role model now more than ever.

     My Picture Book Talk for this story is here.