One Rainy Day - Hardcover

There might be more noticeable peace dividends from the close of the cold war, but surely none cuter. The whole world can count itself lucky to have Valeri Gorbachev, veteran Soviet illustrator, who here brings back the cast of Where Is the Apple Pie? for a smart, playful, and memorable numbers book.

"What happened to you, friend Pig?" asks friend Goat as the bedraggled porker shows up soaked one afternoon on Goat's front porch. This sets off Pig's wild tale, as he explains how he tried to dodge a rainstorm under a tree, only to find himself beset by other animals hoping to keep dry, too: a mouse, then two porcupines, then three buffaloes, four leopards, five lions, etc., all the way up to 10, in a glorious fold-out in the middle.

Gorbachev's silly spreads in pen and ink and watercolor would be ample entertainment for any counting book, but his gift for tall-tale cadence makes One Rainy Day that much more remarkable.

"Because, to escape the rain, a small--very fast--mouse ran right under the tree, too."
"Surely there was enough room for you and the small--very fast--mouse."
"Yes, but then two porcupines joined us."

All that, and it's fun to read with a Russian accent. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

Gr. 4-8. Hidden in this lovely tale of friendship is a counting book. When Pig arrives home, drenched by the rain, his friend Goat wants to know what happened. Pig explains that he took cover under a tree and was eventually joined by a mouse, followed by two porcupines, three buffaloes, four leopards, and so on, until ten elephants arrived. Then Pig gets even more wet: "I was in such a hurry to tell you what happened . . . I didn't miss a single puddle." Wonderful large watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations capture the action as the large creatures run for cover, while the corner of each spread shows Goat drying off his friend, giving him tea, and listening sweetly to his story. The illustrations dramatically culminate in a huge four-page foldout of all of the animals. With its bold pictures, humorous text, and opportunities for audience participation, this is an excellent choice for reading aloud. Helen Rosenberg
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