One Big Rain: Poems for Rainy Days    compiled by Rita Gray & Ryan O'Rourke Order:  USA  Can Charlesbridge, 2010 (2010) Hardcover Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Bob Walch No matter the season, wet weather alters our daily schedule. If you are a child it usually means you'll be stuck indoors. In this collection of short poems, Rita Gray shows that rainy days are not necessarily gloomy days. She breaks the year down by seasons, and has selected five poems that capture the theme for each time period. You'll discover haiku by Kyotai, Kyoshi, Shisei-jo, Sora, and other Japanese poets as well as longer verses by Carl Sandburg, Eve Merriam, Robert Frost, and Lillian Moore. From the spring rains that melt away the last vestige of snow, and the summer storms that break a lingering heat spell, to autumn showers that glaze the colorful piles of leaves collecting on the ground, and the sleet, snow and ice that blanket the winter landscape, these poems capture the seasonal changes. Rain can play a pinging beat as it falls willy-nilly from the sky: pitter-patter, plip-plop, drip-drop, plink-plink, writes Rita Gray. And puddles are perfect to splish-splosh. Poets have captured the language and rhythm of the rain, creating images that stay with us throughout the year. Preschoolers as well as older children and adults will enjoy this collection of poetry for a rainy day. Ryan O'Rourke's appealing illustrations offer a pleasing visual element to each poem and help identify each season. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews