Outstanding in the Rain

Such a delightful book. The color schemes are a knockout. My son loves it and he's only 1. I love the Coney Island setting! Well done and makes a wonderful, unique gift for a child. (Or grown up!) one thing I will mention is that the word play is a bit awkward.

Cute book and pictures. My kids loved it.

Artwork is beautiful, but the storyline isn’t very engaging. We’ve just taken to making up our own stories as we go through the pretty pages!

Oh so clever with words and images. I'm sure kids and adults who read to kids will both enjoy this skillful book. You won't mind reading it again and again.

I bought this for ME. Not a kid. I love Frank's work!

Enjoy this book and the humor. Not for grabby-hands babies though, as they'll rip the pages like ours did.

Frank Viva is well known for illustrating The Boston Globe, The New Your Times, Time, and Esquire. His wonky illustrations translate well into children's picture books. His first picture book was listed as one of The New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books of 2011. So, I did have high hopes when I received this free hardcover copy of Outstanding in the Rain. The inside cover is a double-page spread of a fair ground. The title page shows a mother watching her son receive an ice cream from a vendor. On the next double spread, the cutouts begin. "'Ice cream,' I say, my birthday surprise!" reads the text. There is a hole cut below the word ice showing the word cream printed on the next page. When the reader turns the page, the hole flips to the other side and becomes part of the little boy's face. He has dropped his ice cream and now screams with tears in his eyes. Behind the hole, the roof from the subway train is transformed into his teeth. This is a great beginning, grabbing the attention of a small child. The story continues with mom and child going down a long slide. The text reads, "I shout in her ear this is one crazy ride! But that was her rear I just about cried." The illustration does not depict the child talking into her "rear" very clearly. The text continues on like this, sometimes crisp and engaging, other times stumbling. But the holes are disappointing, none as clever as the first. If this is a child's first "hole" book, he or she will be enthralled with the technique. I have seen this done several times before, sometimes with great ingenuity. Pam Adams comes to mind. This is an good book, but I would not call it "outstanding."

Wonderful play on words, surprising cut-outs and my grand daughter loves it and giggled all the way through it.....She is 5 years old!