Sunday Rain

While reading in his bedroom Elliott is disturbed by noises outside – the whoosh of the whispering wind and the boom of crashing thunder – before going back to his book and the adventure therein. As the rain gradually abates, the boy hears children laughing and playing in the puddles outside in the street. They’re clearly having fun but Elliott, new to the neighbourhood, feels shy about venturing out to join them. With some gentle encouragement from his mum, he dons his wellies and mac, and taking his toy boat, goes outside. Then, drawing upon the story he’d been reading, he begins to enact some imaginative play using his boat with a dragon and a princess as characters. Before long he realises that pretend play is so much more fun in the company of new friends.
Amariah Rauscher’s watercolour and charcoal illustrations transport both readers and the group of children across the sea to an island where they build themselves a castle before travelling back over the water to the city and home. There, Elliott’s parents await with supper ready to serve. After which, it’s bedtime and Elliott snuggles up with his cat and his book with its happy ever after ending, before finally drifting off to sleep.
This is such a lovely, gentle story of having the courage to make a new start and new friends in a strange place, helped by the power of the imagination. With its diverse characters, this is great starting point for discussion in families or the foundation stage settings.