Big Rain Coming

As one dry day follows another in the Australian outback, everyone and everything is waiting for the rain, which seems as though it will never come. Rosie’s kids, the panting dogs, the fat green frogs, and Old Stephen all do what they can to keep cool as they watch for storm clouds on the horizon. Stunningly beautiful full-color artwork and spare text evoke the long wait during the dry season, and the jubilant relief when the long-promised rain finally arrives. Any child can identify with the theme of how hard it is to wait for something you want, and the outsize, brilliantly colored, stylized illustrations—which feature imagery from Aboriginal mythology—make this an especially striking picture book that will captivate and delight young readers.

"The breathless heat, building anticipation, and joyful rush of release commemorate experiences universal to every child." Kirkus Reviews

"The text is well paced with a perfect rhythm for reading aloud, and the large, clean double spreads make for easy viewing." School Library Journal

"This evocative picture book saturates the senses as surely as rain does parched earth." Publishers Weekly

"Young ones...will connect with the paintings' vibrant energy and return to look at this lovely art gallery between covers" Booklist, ALA