T o the child who is stuck indoors at the mercy of Mother Nature, rain doesn't appear to be all that wonderful. But to the imaginative girl at the heart of this tale, it's a source of wonderment and the key to unearthing a soggy world where creatures thrive in wet weather. The delicate phrases of Yee's (Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole ) loose, lyric verse recall the pitter patter of raindrops ("Who likes rain?/ Not Papa's old truck./ Who likes rain?/ Quack, quack.... It's a duck!"). But as the girl soon discovers, rain can also command a more demonstrative presence ("Pitty-plip-PLOP, Pitty-pat-SPLAT!/ I can catch raindrops in my hat"). His gorgeously textured colored pencil illustrations build on this liveliness, from the drain spout gushing a torrent of water and leaves, to the girl (in her bright yellow slicker) chasing her wayward umbrella across a field. As she explores the wet world around her, readers too learn that while rain may be a deterrent for some, it serves a purpose for the quacking duck or the frog that frolics in the "muckety-muck." And when the rain finally ceases, the girl finds a way to embrace its remains. This delightful story is the perfect panacea for the rainy-day blues and, in turn, creates its own bright spot. Ages 2-6. (Apr.)

PreS-Gr 1— A young Asian girl muses about an early spring rain and how various animals and things are affected, playing a guessing game with readers and expressing her own delight in puddle jumping. Told in lilting rhyme—"Raindrops falling/Down in spring./Hit the awning,/ping-ping-ping !"—it's a perfect read-aloud for preschoolers and simple enough for beginning readers. Soft, gentle illustrations in acrylics capture the child's joy and make readers almost feel the pelting rain. A lovely choice for spring storytimes.—Sally R. Dow, Ossining Public Library, NY