After the Rain

Throughout this vocabulary-building tale, a child observes precipitation’s effects in the aftermath of a rainstorm. Bursting with varied-texture verdure, Lee’s lush mixed-media illustrations wordlessly set the scene over several spreads: while pale-skinned Grandma drinks a steaming brew, a brown-skinned child ventures into a yard, only to scamper in amid a visible downpour. Eventually, an initial line of text announces “THE RAIN IS OVER,” and the two begin exploring, with bolded words labeling their discoveries. “Get a whiff of that after-the-rain smell, Lucy! It smells like summer green,” Grandma declares about petrichor. As the exploration continues, Spicer Rice’s exclamatory dialogue helps introduce scientific concepts including evaporation, puddling, and humidity. The narration’s focus on inference-based definition seems primed to prompt discussion and close examination of the jungle-like artwork, which consistently captivates, mingling flora and fauna for an immersive experience. Further definitions conclude. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)