Picnic in the Rain

Passionate about history and children’s literature, Corinne Delporte spent her childhood with her nose in books. After obtaining a Master’s degree in History and a second one in Communication, she leaves France to settle in Montreal, where she strengthens her love of books by becoming a children’s book editor. The power of stories to make children dream, laugh, and think encourages her to start writing stories herself. Nature and wonder at its fragile beauty are themes that are dear to her and it is a rainy day in summer, when her daughter brings a tablecloth and salad to the snails in their garden, that inspired her to write this story. A picnic in the Rain is her first picture book. Célia Molinari Sebastià is a multidisciplinary artist with a degree in graphic design and communication. Since childhood, she has had a gift for untimely chatter, and she takes advantage of this skill to lead workshops for young people around traditional engraving and silkscreen printing. Also passionate about digital drawing, she has illustrated several educational apps for young people. When Célia is not drawing, she spends her time with her hands in the dirt, taking care of the insects and flowers on her Montreal balcony. Very friendly with Tito, the snail living in her cherry tomatoes, she confides in him her dream of one day illustrating a children’s book. A Picnic in the Rain is this first picture book.

A delightful change in perspective creates this whimsical tale of snails enjoying a rainy day picnic--until the sun comes out and ruins it! Not to worry, though, because just as Mommy and Daddy snail are all packed up and ready to head home, little Margot finds the perfect damp spot for her family to picnic and play. Delporte alters familiar rain-themed nursery rhymes to suit the snails' point of view and Sebastià's close-up illustrations bring readers amusingly into the story as though they were a member of the snail family too. Upbeat and engaging, this lighthearted picnic tale is sure to make readers smile, groan, giggle, and sigh with delightat the ending.Classroom Connections: Great for read-alouds, early independent readers, studying point-of-view in texts, and as part of a spring reading library.Reading Comprehension Strategies: Making Predictions, Asking Questions, Making Connections, Transforming.