Rain Boy by Dylan Glynn is wonderful read for a rainy day. The artwork is beautiful and would be great fun for children to have a go at recreating. The pictures are busy and vibrant and add lots of depth to the story as it unfolds.
This book celebrates difference. It is essentially a book about acceptance, diversity and kindness. It is a story about seeing the good in everyone and a reminder to us all that we all have something special to offer. This is a story about standing up to bullies and speaking up when we witness something that we know to be wrong.
This is a story that has lots of messages and therefore it is a book that will be read many times as situations unfold in a child’s life.
Rain Boy reminds us all that the brightest colours shine from within and that we are better together.
Rain Boy is not well liked. Wherever he goes he brings wet. Nobody wants him around.
Sun Kidd is super popular. Everyone loves her as she brings light and joy wherever she goes.
Rain Boy was unloved, unwanted and alone but Sun Kidd saw something special in Rain Boy and she wanted to be his friend. She invited him to her birthday party but was mortified when her friends were cruel to him, yelling at him to go away.
Rain Boy left alone, angry, afraid and sad.
A storm began to brew.
Rain fell relentlessly. Everyone stayed inside.
Soon people began to notice changes, they were talking to one another more, their flowers bloomed and their grass turned greener.
The children began to play together outside in the wet wonderland and as they played they began to notice and appreciate the beauty of the rain.
As the children learned to love the rain and all the beauty and goodness it had to offer, they learned to love Rain Boy, to see his special qualities and what he had to offer as a friend, as one of them.
As the children all played together with Sun Kidd and Rain Boy the most beautiful things began to happen.
As Rain Boy learned to love himself and celebrate his individuality as the children accepted each other’s differences and came together as a community they were rewarded with a magnificent rainbow. A symbol of light, of hope, of togetherness and kindness.
Rain Boy is an emotional read, especially if like me you parent or teach a child who has no idea how wonderful they are, who struggles to fit in and find their place. This book is for you and for them.
The book ends with a beautiful invitation
“So the next time you’re feeling down and your world is dark and gray… just look up.”
Use this wonderful ending to reassure your little one how amazing they are, remind them to look out for others and to always be kind and ask them to try to remember this book the next time they are feeling sad, and in particular the closing sentence. Look up. Look around you. Breathe. Notice the beauty and good things around you to help you feel more positive when things are hard or sad, and the world is dark and grey. Just look up.