When the Rain Comes

A perilous flash flood threatens a young Sri Lankan girl's life and her village's livelihood in this compelling picture book. Fullerton's spare and lyrical text opens with Malini waking up, excited to learn how to plant rice seedlings and contribute to her community's well-being. She ventures outside to see the ox-cart filled with seedlings coming down the road; the accompanying illustrations are brightly colored and expressive, with ample open space. But soon afterward the driver leaves her to watch the cart while he "ducks into the cafe for a break after his long ride." Sudden winds and pouring rain descend, and a flash flood leaves her stranded with the ox and cart with its precious cargo. Malini's family frantically calls for her to lead the ox to higher ground for the girl's own safety and to save the seedlings. At this point, the palette changes drastically and pages are filled with watery blues and diagonal lines indicating the downpour. Though initially terrified, Malini makes it to the barn where she and the ox wait until the storm passes, the village's future rice harvest saved. Endnotes explain the realities of child labor, poverty, and a dependence on rice as a staple crop in Sri Lanka, and the book as a whole offers a powerful portrait of a child's bravery and perseverance. megan dowd lambert