For children navigating loss or difficult transitions, this gentle, lyrical book offers a message of enduring hope and comfort, reminding them that brighter days follow the rain.
A parent might reach for this book when their child is navigating a difficult transition, loss, or a period of sadness where words feel inadequate. Through lyrical verse and stunning illustrations, the story follows a young girl and her fox companion on a journey out of a dark, stormy landscape and into a world of sunshine, community, and hope. It gently validates feelings of sadness and fear while offering a powerful, reassuring message that difficult times are temporary. For children ages 4 to 8, it provides a beautiful, metaphorical way to open a conversation about resilience and the promise that rainbows always follow the rain.
The book addresses sadness, loss, and hardship through metaphor. The approach is entirely secular and nonspecific, allowing the 'rain' to represent any challenge a child might face (grief, moving, family illness, etc.). The resolution is explicitly and powerfully hopeful, reinforcing the message that difficult periods are temporary and lead to brighter days.
Ideal Reader
This book is perfect for a sensitive 4 to 7-year-old experiencing a significant life change or loss that is hard to articulate. It's for the child who is feeling sad but may not have the words for it, or for whom a direct, problem-specific book might be too intense. It allows them to project their own feelings onto the universally understood metaphor of a storm.
Parent Prep
Parents should preview the first few pages. The illustrations of the burning castle, the stormy sea, and the dark forest, while beautiful, can be frightening for some very young children. It is best to read this book together, providing physical comfort and context, framing the journey as a story about moving through a 'sad time' to find a 'happy time'. The parent has observed their child being withdrawn, quiet, or unusually anxious after a family hardship. The child might ask, 'Will things ever be happy again?' or express a general sense of hopelessness. This book is the parent's gentle, visual way of answering 'yes'.
Age Experience
A younger child (4-5) will connect with the simple, rhyming text and the clear visual shift from dark to light. They will understand the core message: sad things happen, then happy things happen. An older child (6-8) can engage with the deeper metaphor, understanding that 'rain' is a symbol for their own struggles and that perseverance and hope are key to reaching the 'rainbow'.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many books on grief or resilience that name a specific problem, this book’s strength is its beautiful, lyrical vagueness. It uses the universal metaphor of weather to validate feelings without needing a specific label. This versatility, combined with David Litchfield's breathtaking, emotionally resonant illustrations, makes it a uniquely gentle and powerful tool for comfort.
Read plot summary
A young girl and a fox flee a burning castle and travel together through a series of difficult landscapes: a stormy sea, a dark forest, and treacherous mountains. Along the way, they find moments of help and companionship. The visual tone of the book gradually shifts from dark and ominous to light and hopeful, culminating in their arrival in a bright, sunny land where they are welcomed by others under a brilliant rainbow.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
The girl and the fox traveled through some scary places, like the dark woods and the stormy sea. Which part of their journey looked the hardest to you? What do you think helped them keep going?
2
When they were crossing the water, they found a friend in a boat to help them. Who are the friends or family members that are like a helpful boat for you when you feel sad or lost?
3
The colors in the book change from dark to very bright. What colors make you feel cozy and safe? What colors make you feel happy and excited?
4
The book says, 'For after thunder, sunshine sings.' What do you think is the 'sunshine' that comes after a sad or stormy time in our lives?
5
At the very end, we see a big, beautiful rainbow. If you could create your own rainbow, what happy things or people would be in each color?
