After the Rain, by Eleanor Spicer Rice, Ph.D. (Signed by the Author)

Gorgeously illustrated and brimming with accessible science, this joyful picture book explores the wonders of the natural world after it rains. Puddle-hopping optional! What happens once the rain stops? To a young child out exploring with her grandmother and dog, the world smells of summer green and turtles and warm bricks. That after-rain smell, known as petrichor, signals to seeds, You can come up now! Bees buzz out of their hives and sip from puddles. Butterflies desert their leafy umbrellas. The rain itself becomes water vapor, which forms clouds. And not everyone ventures up and out. With the sun’s return, worms wriggle deep down in search of shelter while fungi converse with the tangled roots of trees. Illustrated with the sparkling glow of a busy landscape after rain, spreads include relevant “words to say after the rain,” such as evaporation and humidity, in a form that provides context for the meaning. This deceptively simple and imminently shareable picture book by a leading scientist introduces key concepts with energy, gentle humor, and age-appropriate language, inspiring curious readers of all ages to pull on rain boots and beeline for the door. Eleanor Spicer Rice (www.verdantword.com) is an entomologist and writer living in Raleigh, North Carolina, whose newspaper and magazine topics range from belly button biodiversity to blue crabs in bath tubs. She received her PhD in entomology from North Carolina State University. Fiona Lee initially worked as a science illustrator before transitioning to children’s books. She started her career working with clients such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and UC Santa Cruz. She loves combining her background in science illustration with children’s publishing and enjoys mixing traditional and digital media to create her illustrations.