Posted by Soaked by Abi Cushman (2020)
I had the pleasure to get a preview of Abi’s book during a Storyteller Academy webinar and it had me cracking up. I was all too happy to read and review this picture book about a unhappy bear.
Summary: Drenched and dreary Bear and his forest pals are caught in the rain. Bear’s day gets worse and worse as the rain refuses to let up. Bear finds the silver lining in a hula hoop, friends, and a big puddle.
What I Enjoyed
➡️ Kid-Relatable: Bear is grumpy. Bear’s plans are ruined because of the rain. Sometimes things happen to our readers making this story relatable while being told with a sense of humor.
➡️ Humor: There are many funny moments in soaked, but they all have one thing in common — SURPRISE! My favorite visual surprise is how Badger catches the ice cream.
➡️ Delightful ReadAloud: Groans. Alliteration. Onomatopoeia. This narrative voice in this story makes the reader into a performer and that instantly engages any young listeners!
Mentor Text Moments
➡️ For Authors: Unique narrative arc. This story escalates on Bear (sort of) trying to make the best of the situation, but instead if Bear immediately solving his own problem, it is his willingness to help a friend that inadvertently is the key to solving his problem. The last spread contains a surprise that reminds us that Bear is still Bear to the core.
➡️ For Illustrators: Rain! Abi uses simple, opaque lines for the rain with targeted splashes. This is a great example balancing an environmental element in the story.
➡️ For Illustrators: Natural color palette. Abi does an amazing job using greens, browns, and yellows to differentiate between foreground and background. In addition, she has a nice use of making Bear the star by making him the largest animal with the warmest colors and most contrast.
Note: Abi or Storyteller Academy did not ask me to purchase or review this book.