Watersong
(Book)

The rhythm of nature and the beauty of a rainfall and its aftermath suffuse this simple story, as enticing pictures and rhyming language encourage readers to follow an orange fox. Padding through the marsh, the fox passes animals of the wetlands. A lush vocabulary of onomatopoeic sounds abound: ducks splish splosh swish slosh, dramatic white rain droplets drip drop, plip plop, and the rushing river goes trickle dribble gurgle burble babble bubble. As the fox hurtles down the river POP! it goes down a cascade in the rapids and ends up in a log, as leaves and branches swirl in the wind. Finally, with a glorious whoosh sigh, a dazzling rainbow appears. The fox finds its family and joyfully leaps through the sparkle and glitter. Full-color spreads in realistic watercolor depict a changing landscape and the plant and animal life of the watershed. The afterword gives information on the aquatic ecosystems, the progression of the water cycle, and the habitat of the omnivorous fox. A joyful, gorgeous book.--Gepson, Lolly Copyright 2017 Booklist

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 © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From the "plip plop" of the first large raindrops to the "whish!" of a river in heavy downpour to a quiet rainbow-filled blue sky, a rainstorm's musicality is captured in a series of resonant sound words matched with evocative digital and watercolor art. An immersive read-aloud rejoicing over (per the addendum) "the sounds of water...a song of life and connection. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The rhythm of nature and the beauty of a rainfall and its aftermath suffuse this simple story, as enticing pictures and rhyming language encourage readers to follow an orange fox. Padding through the marsh, the fox passes animals of the wetlands. A lush vocabulary of onomatopoeic sounds abound: ducks "splish splosh swish slosh," dramatic white rain droplets "drip drop, plip plop," and the rushing river goes "trickle dribble gurgle burble babble bubble." As the fox hurtles down the river—"POP!"—it goes down a cascade in the rapids and ends up in a log, as leaves and branches swirl in the wind. Finally, with a glorious "whoosh sigh," a dazzling rainbow appears. The fox finds its family and joyfully leaps through the sparkle and glitter. Full-color spreads in realistic watercolor depict a changing landscape and the plant and animal life of the watershed. The afterword gives information on the aquatic ecosystems, the progression of the water cycle, and the habitat of the omnivorous fox. A joyful, gorgeous book. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

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