Sun Shower product reviews

I think what first drew me to Sun Shower was the quality of the illustrations. Isobel Joy Te Aho-White has done a superb job in capturing the essence of the differing landscape patterns of Aotearoa New Zealand with the weather variations unfolding in the sky above. The sun is depicted as bold and bright in various shades of orange while Rain is grey and cold, and somewhat unsure of herself. In the middle are the clouds, the peacemakers, who would do well to be career diplomats with their light colouring and positive attitude!

The text contains a powerful message about diversity, cooperation, and friendship. Melinda Szymanik has started with a scientific concept and presented it in a context that even very young children can understand. Miss Four was completely engaged with the story - she loves to see a rainbow, and declared that "she never knew the story of how rainbows happened until now!" This led to a conversation with her parents about friends having different skills and interests but being able to work together using their various strengths and building a strong relationship in the process - not to mention a desirable outcome like a rainbow.

Although the book was perfect for Miss Four, it would be suitable for older children too. It does not dumb down the storyline; some of the words, like "safeguard" and "relentless gaze" may not be in a younger child's vocabulary, but their meaning is clear in the context. This enables a preschooler to acquire new words in a painless manner without realising it. The best learning happens like that! Mr One, on the other hand, was too young to appreciate the story. He quickly lost interest and returned to his own book.

The text can be a catalyst for many other parent-child discussions. The role of sunshine and rain in plant growth is important if the family has a garden. for example. Growing your own food can be fun, and something even a very young child can be encouraged to do. This story is as much about balance in nature as it is about rainbows. In recent years, floods and droughts have caused global food shortages. This is something an older child will be aware of; climate change has been at the forefront of the news, and it is something everyone, whatever their age, needs to help slow down. Even very young children can do their bit to address it - turning lights off, not leaving taps running, recycling, etc. All helps!

While browsing the KIWIreviews website one particular item available to request for review caught my eye, it was this book 'Sun Shower' and I was immediately drawn to it. The cover features some beautiful artwork of a smiling sun and some other smiling things, including some clouds, and gliding people in the background. I was intrigued to find out how the author would go about the theme of why the sun and rain are not usually around together at the same time.

I sat down at bedtime with my two youngest children, of which the youngest is aged 7, and we proceeded to turn the pages and read the story. Firstly, the illustrations are beautifully done, and they look quite soft, with lots of subtle colours, and the amount of detail that the illustrator has managed to capture is impressive, my youngest son especially liked the taniwha on one of the pages.

As we read the words, we began to see the dilemma which the two main characters Sun and Rain faced, and that was that whenever Rain was around, Sun disappeared and vice versa, my eldest mentioned that they can be together at the same time, I said let's read on to see whether they sort it out. As the story progresses, we find that the Clouds are trying their hardest to get Sun and Rain together, and to realize that they are both needed for things to grow etc. In the end the Clouds are successful in getting the two together, and their wonderful pairing created a magnificent rainbow, so anytime you see a rainbow you can believe that the two are hanging out together!

I was apprehensive as to whether my 10-year-old would stay interested in the story, but knew my 7-year-old would stay till the end, but to my surprise my eldest was captivated, and it even opened up conversations about other weather patterns and how they are formed. I recommend this book as a cute story to show that even though people maybe opposites, they can still get along and still create something special.