Downpour

A young boy celebrates a refreshing storm in this joyous multisensory picture book about experiencing a cloudburst of rain on a hot summer day.

It is a hot summer day. But soon, dark clouds roll in. A boy looks up at the sky and smells the air as the first raindrops hit the ground. He listens as it begins to pour, observing all the symphony of sound this welcome downpour makes. He feels the water droplets on his skin and sees little rivulets of water on the sidewalk.

“Badadada”: he hears as the rain hits his yellow umbrella, “Ker-sploosh” as he jumps in a puddle. This boy uses all his senses to experience this refreshing summer storm.

Koshiro Hata’s illustrations revel in the joy of nature in Downpour by Yuko Ohnari, featuring expressive onomatopoeia to sound out and enjoy. You’ll definitely want to play outside the next time it rains.