One Big Rain

Rita Gray has compiled twenty poems about precipitation, each written by well-known poets such as Kyoshi, Eve Merriam, Lilian Moore, and Carl Sandburg. Divided into poems written about rain within each of the four seasons, this compilation offers the reader a chance to revel in the beauty of precipitation and the poetry it inspires. The variety of poems opens the door for discussion of poetic styles, while Ryan O'Rourke's playful yet sophisticated illustrations will appeal to readers of all ages.Introduction
About haiku translations
AUTUMN
the falling leaves
Black Cat
The Mist and All
November Rain
on the broad hat
WINTER
under an umbrella
Untitled
Weather Report
stars on the pond
To the Thawing Wind SPRING
tree-frogs
Little Snail
Rain
The Sower
a bush warbler
SUMMER
a lone watermelon
Summer Rain
Release
hit by
Summer Grass
Acknowledgments"Soft and refreshing."
--Kirkus Reviews

"This attractive collection offers a delightful introduction to nature poetry."
--School Library Journal

Samantha R. Vamos is the author of Alphabet Boats, Alphabet Trains, Alphabet Trucks (illustrated by Ryan O’Rourke), The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred (illustrated by Rafael López) – 2012 Pura Belpré Illustration Honor – its companion book, The Piñata That The Farm Maiden Hung (illustrated by Sebastià Serra), and Before You Were Here, Mi Amor (2009, illustrated by Santiago Cohen). Samantha previously worked as an attorney, practicing in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, IL.  Samantha was born in the Midwest, grew up on the east coast, and lived in the Pacific Northwest before moving to the Bay Area with her husband, son, and their rescue puppy, Bowie. Visit Samantha online at www.samanthavamos.com.
   

For many years Ryan O'Rourke's illustrations have appeared in galleries, newspapers, and magazines, including a weekly illustration for the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. One Big Rain marks Ryan's foray into children's picture books. He makes his home in Connecticut.

The Mist and All
—Dixie Willson
I like the fall,
The mist and all.
I like the night owl’s
Lonely call—
And wailing sound
Of wind around.
I like the gray
November day,
And bare, dead boughs
That coldly sway
Against my pane.
I like the rain.
I like to sit
And laugh at it—
And tend
My cozy fire a bit.
I like the fall—
The mist and all.