Rainy Morning - Hardcover

Pinkwater, Daniel Manus

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689811438 ISBN 13: 9780689811432

Publisher: Atheneum, 1999

Synopsis

On a rainy morning, Mr. and Mrs. Submarine invite a cat, dog, coyote, wildebeest, Ludwig van Beethoven, the United States Marine Band, and others into their home to share their breakfast of tea and corn muffins.

About this title

Review

Mr. and Mrs. Submarine are sitting at the kitchen table on a rainy morning, after eating a couple of breakfasts. They notice their very wet cat peering in forlornly at them from the window, so they let him in, dripping, and give him a corn muffin. This is only the beginning of the Submarines' hospitality. They let the dog in, dripping. Then the horse, dripping. ("'Just this once,' Mr. Submarine said.") Clearly, it's time for Mrs. Submarine to make more corn muffins. Soon they let the crows in, dripping. Then a wild coyote. ("'As I live and breathe,' Mrs. Submarine said. 'Is it wet?'") More and more animals appear (and are let in, dripping), then they spot Ludwig van Beethoven out in the yard, the United States Marine Band, and a small European circus, which they feel they can safely let in because no elephants are in sight. They all eat corn muffins and drink tea in the warm cozy kitchen until the sun comes out. This is an extremely comforting, albeit unusual story. Not only will children feel content in the company of the polite, generous-spirited Submarines, they will giggle uncontrollably as the menagerie gets weirder and weirder. Daniel Pinkwater's deadpan, funny story and Jill Pinkwater's bright, bold illustrations communicate a happy, simple world where animals and humans are on equal footing, the unexpected is accepted, and there are always enough corn muffins to go around. (Ages 5 to 8) --Karin Snelson

From Publishers Weekly

At first, this tale offers nothing but dismal weather and a polite couple, Mr. and Mrs. Submarine, breakfasting on corn muffins. Their cat bumps at the window and comes in from the rain, and their dog follows suit. Peculiarities arise when Mr. and Mrs. Submarine take pity on a wet horse, coax a shy coyote indoors and welcome 10 chickens, who sit "as far as they could get from the coyote." The ante climbs when Ludwig van Beethoven appears on the lawn ("'Oh, invite him in!' Mrs. Submarine said. 'He is my favorite composer'"). Beethoven justifies the German phrase translations that appear on the copyright page, yet the musical legend doesn't treat his hosts to a performance, not even when the U.S. Marine Band arrives. Instead, the assembly just "ate corn muffins and drank tea in the warm cozy kitchen until the sun came out." Jill Pinkwater (Buffalo Brenda), who illustrates in noisy-bright felt-tip markers, uses medium-to-thick strokes to create flat images. This process allows for wildly colorful patterns but results in lumpy, ungraceful shapes. Especially in the crowd scenes, fine lines seem necessary; as it is, only a few of the chickens and crows fit in the jam-packed, visually muddy closing spread. Daniel Pinkwater (Doodle Flute) achieves sublime ridiculousness by showing the Submarines' limitless hospitality. Although a slapstick finale for this wet day seems in the offing, the author opts for dry wit: nothing happens, despite the volatile mix. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Atheneum
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0689811438
• ISBN 13: 9780689811432
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Pinkwater Jill