Use your library - "Here comes the rain"
fiction based activities by Sarah Cody

"Here comes the rain"
~ by Clare Good. Illustrated by David Cox. (Scholastic Aust Pty Ltd, 1999)
ISBN 1 86504 031 2

Summary: Every day Grace watches the animals for signs that her grandfather told her to look for - signs that it will rain. The days become hotter and the ground begins to crack, and Grace is sure it will never rain again.

Category: Fiction - Suitable for lower and middle primary

Activities:

»	List the signs the animals give when it will rain.
»	Why were Grace's parents looking for a place in the city?
»	Continue the story after the rain.
»	How does the author convey the experience of drought? What descriptive words/images does she use?
»	Compare and contrast life in the city and country as presented in the story.
»	Explore the effects of drought on the land, plants, animals, people.
»	Use other picture books and/or reference books to build a broader picture. Present using pictures and words.
»	Create a newspaper report under the heading "The day it rained".
»	When have you had to wait for something? Write about your feelings leading up to it, and how you felt when it finally happened.
»	Use the book as introduction to discussions about consequences of low rainfall in both rural and urban settings.

"How do the city animals tell us when it is going to rain?' Grace asked. Grandpa Frank frowned and shook his head, 'I'm not quite sure."