Book-A-Day 3: The Rain Stomper

The Rain Stomper

Written by: Addie Boswell

Illustrated by: Eric Velasquez

This story begins with an exuberant Jazmin jumping out of bed ready to engulf the fun of parade day.  She's got her baton and her new red suit and she is ready to lead the parade!  She also has one big problem...rain clouds.  A downpour of heavy rain on parade day does not make for a happy Jazmine. She was ready to roll!  But, what's a little rain to stop a parade girl like Jazmine?  She takes on the rain full force and stomps her way through puddle after puddle.  Shaking her fists, stomping her feet, skipping and shouting, "I am Jazmin, the Rain Stomper!" 

Her persistence pays off and a crowd of kids join in on the fun cheering Jazmin as she parades herself through the rain.  Together they all begin to stomp, splash, skip and shout creating their own rainy day parade.  

With so many fun words scattered throughout the story, this book would serve as a wonderful read aloud when discussing sound, weather, or teaching about onomatopoeia.  Using words such as "Boom walla boom, walla walla, boom" to depict thunder and "tap, tippity tap tap" and "clack clickity clack" to depict rain makes the storm feel like it's right there beside you as you read.  This type of language is also great when getting students to think like writers and the many ways you can describe the action in your story.  You could also have some fun by extending the story to brainstorm all the various ways to mimic nature with sound combinations.  What would a snowy day sound like?  What about a day at the beach? Or a walk in the woods?  Lots of fun could be had using the language of this story and fun rhythm of the words.  

Eric Valasquez is a wonderfully artistic African-American illustrator and won me over once again with his illustrations of Jazmin and her adventures in the rainy fun of parade day.  Some of the other books he has illustrated include, Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson, Our Children Can Soar by Michelle Cook, and Champion: The Story of Muhammad Ali by James Haskins.  To learn more about Eric Valasquez, read his bio and check out the long list of books he has illustrated on his website.  His illustrations paired with the words of Addie Boswell make for a great story worth sharing with kids over and over again.