The Patterson Puppies and the Rainy Day

The Patterson Puppies and the Rainy Day

What better diversion for a rainy day? The cup of imagination overflows for a family of spirited pups in this comical picture book from Leslie Patricelli. It’s a rainy day, and the Patterson puppies have run out of things to do. If only it were sunny and warm, they could go to the beach! But then Petra gets an idea. Indoor beach party! Buckets! A blue-carpet ocean! The surfing and undersea diving are a blast, until . . . mom and dad appear on the shore. Uh-oh! Will a mop-brigade party be as much fun? Rambunctious pups are sure to relate to this cautionary tale — and be eager to dive right in. "Buoyant illustrations jump right into the pups' seafaring fantasies, and three exuberant double-page spreads bring the imaginative play to life."-The Horn Book As a child, I will never forget the pure, imaginative joy of creating an ocean inside my friend's bedroom. We were having a tea party when one of us spilled our teacup full of water. We decided it looked like a small ocean. We wanted it to be bigger, so we began collecting buckets of water and pouring them on her blue carpet. I was transported to the sunny beach, splashing in the water, playing in the sand, warm and content. It wasn't until our parents walked in that the spell was broken. I will never forget the looks on their faces, or the feeling of being torn from our world of fantasy back to reality - and a grim reality at that. We were in big trouble! This experience has always stuck with me and seemed the perfect story to tell with the four rambunctious, imaginative Patterson Puppies siblings. It's a story of imagination, cooperation, and ultimately, consequences. The four puppies personalities are based on my own children's personalities. I developed the characters when my children were 6, 4 and 2 - in the prime of their imaginative play. My daughters both displayed a combination of Petra, the tomboyish, gentle animal lover, and Penelope, the girly princess. My son embodied the superhero idolatry of Zack, as well as the book-loving Andy. I loved watching them in their passionate play and how they worked together to mesh their imaginary worlds into one, always negotiating to find common ground. I tried to capture the joy of imagination and the elements of their play into the Patterson Puppies. Leslie Patricelli is the creator of the bestselling board books starring her adorable bald baby, including YUMMY YUCKY, BIG LITTLE, QUIET LOUD, NO NO YES YES, and BABY HAPPY BABY SAD, and the picture books THE BIRTHDAY BOX and HIGHER! HIGHER! She lives in the mountain town of Ketchum, Idaho (dog heaven!), with her three children, two cats, two bunnies, and a leopard gecko, but, unfortunately, no puppies.