Rainy Morning
Mr. and Mrs. Submarine are sitting at the kitchen table on a rainy  morning, after eating a couple of breakfasts. They notice their very wet cat peering in forlornly at them from the window, so they let him in, dripping, and give him a corn muffin. This is only the beginning of the Submarines' hospitality.  They let the dog in, dripping. Then the horse, dripping. ("'Just this once,' Mr. Submarine said.") Clearly, it's time for Mrs. Submarine to make more corn muffins. Soon they let the crows in, dripping. Then a wild coyote. ("'As I live and breathe,' Mrs. Submarine said. 'Is it wet?'") More and more animals appear (and are let in, dripping), then they spot Ludwig van Beethoven out in the yard, the United States Marine Band, and a small European circus, which they feel they can safely let in because no elephants are in sight. They all eat corn muffins and drink tea in the warm cozy kitchen until the sun comes out. This is an extremely comforting, albeit unusual story. Not only will children feel content in the company of the polite, generous-spirited Submarines, they will giggle uncontrollably as the menagerie gets weirder and weirder. Daniel Pinkwater's deadpan, funny story and Jill Pinkwater's bright, bold illustrations communicate a happy, simple world where animals and humans are on equal footing, the unexpected is accepted, and there are always enough corn muffins to go around. (Ages 5 to 8)--Karin Snelson