Watersong

A red fox seeks shelter as a rainstorm builds in intensity.

As the rain begins with a “drip drop,” the fox encounters other creatures, each moving through the pond and forest, finding its own niche or hiding place. The text, in the aptly named Brioso typeface, is scattered across double-page spreads in varying sizes and strengths appropriate to the force of the storm. McCanna’s carefully chosen words are nearly all onomatopoeia, a cacophony of water sounds that resonates on tongue and ear, demanding to be read aloud, moving from “pitter patter” through “gurgle burble” and all the way to “slap and slam,” before finally calming down with “whoosh sigh.” When the rain ends, the syntax changes to verbal commands, exhortations to “sprout” and “sparkle” and “glow.” Text and illustrations weave an interconnected, interdependent tale. There is no mention of the fox or the setting in the text. The creatures and their actions are for readers to discover in Smythe’s brightly hued, digitally finished watercolor illustrations. Frogs and ducks, an owl, snails, a worm, a mouse, and more run, splash, and fly. Hiding eyes watch from behind reeds, mushrooms, and lily pads as the wind whips leaves and branches and trees crash. In the aftermath of the storm, there’s sunshine, a rainbow, and a young fox family. Backmatter introduces such concepts as ecosystems and the water cycle.

PreS-Gr 1--McCanna's fourth picture book follows a rainstorm from the very first drip to the final glow of a rainbow. A baby fox begins his journey through the storm by a beautifully illustrated pond. Along his way, he splats, sloshes, and squishes through the puddles, all while seeing various animal friends. As the story and the storm continue, the sounds and images get darker. Both the fox and the storm become more frantic as time ticks on. McCanna's use of onomatopoeic words helps the natural scenes come to life, as do the spare rhyming text; both will aid preemergent readers. The delightful full-spread illustrations and the size and colors of the text add to the mood of the prose. VERDICT This sensory picture book will work best read one-on-one so children can pore over the watercolors. A pleasing addition to most collections.--Megan McGinnis, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY