Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain

Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain (newly reissued by Macmillan Children's Books) is a beautiful rhyming story inspired by a folktale from Kenya. Ki-Pat is a young herd boy who must find a way to end the dreadful drought that has come to plain. Ending the drought is the only way to save the animals that live there. The text is wonderfully written and the rhyming couplets allow the story to flow effortlessly. I found myself easily reading along with the rhythm of the text and this made it easy to read aloud to my class, who in turn were able to join in with many of the rhymes I instantly found myself thinking that this text would be perfect to use in school. It would be a fantastic resource to use when studying topics around Kenya or stories from other cultures. Speaking from my own experiences, I know that this will come in handy in forthcoming topic cycles. Verna Aardema, a highly acclaimed storyteller and author of many African folktales, has written this tale well enough that it is accessible to children and can prompt many discussions between peers. The story is accompanied by Beatriz Vidal's illustrations. These are superb in the way that they truly depict the story throughout and are very traditional. I could easily see some artwork stemming from this book as well as work surrounding Kenya and Poetry. A lovely addition to any school library. Picture book / Ages 5+ / Reviewed by Kyle Matravers, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 5+