  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 02/01/2019 *Starred Review* A disgruntled rain puddle has trouble appreciating her own value. Calling herself “Puddle the Pudge,” she admires her sweet, smaller brothers and sisters. In a series of interactions, a seagull takes a sip, children run through, and a wet poodle relieves itself. When the sun comes out, however, the little puddles quickly dry up, and Puddle is left alone. As a group of children head back inside their school after recess, they notice something amazing about the puddle: a rainbow reflecting in the water. One girl with dark skin and hair gives the puddle a hug of sorts, reaching her arms around it in appreciation. Though it appears simple, the book is quite complex and thoughtful. As young readers sympathize with the puddle’s unhappiness, they may articulate their own feelings of disappointment or joy. The text takes the point of view of the puddle with rich vocabulary that creates images such as rain “dimpling” and the dog “piddling” the puddles. Masterful watercolor and gouache illustrations, artfully conveying what is reflected in the puddle, are enhanced by an effective book design and creative use of fonts. Vibrant, unusual, and beautiful, this deep Puddle “is, indeed, a sight to see.” - Copyright 2019 Booklist. School Library Journal - 02/01/2019 PreS-Gr 1—A discontented playground puddle bemoans being too deep, comparing herself to other more shallow puddles. She forgets all her woes when after the rain ends, the sun appears, and her fellow puddles dry up. Surrounded by school children, she reflects a rainbow and gets a virtual hug from a young girl. Raschka's signature nearly abstract gouache and watercolor illustrations transition from gray-blue to a slowly brightening wash of colors as the puddle transforms from despondent to elated, matching the tone of Jackson's jaunty rhyming text. VERDICT A winsome and uplifting tale of an unusual protagonist for most picture book shelves.—Yelena Voysey, formerly at Pickering Educational Library, Boston University - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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