Rainflowers (A Charlotte Zolotow Book)

Kindergarten-Grade 2-- In short, poetic prose, Turner delineates the activities of animals of the farm and field as a thunderstorm passes through the pasture. Blake's lovely, soft watercolor paintings vary in tone and darkness as the storm intensifies and fades. His double-page panoramas, while accurately reflecting the descriptive text, actually tell the story by themselves, with little need of accompanying explanation. In drawn out picture-book format, Turner's literary form appears defective. The entire text is comprised of two sentences, the first of which contains several complete thoughts run together with little punctuation, sans capitalization, and disregarding changes in tense and obvious breathing pauses. This descriptive piece is better suited for inclusion in a volume of poetry. Perhaps, as part of a collection, it could be better appreciated by older children and adults. As is, it is sophisticated fare for young children, but too childish in appearance for older ones. --Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
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