Reviewed by Carla Trueheart for Readers' Favorite

Rainland by author Sarah Allerding tells the tale of Thomas, a boy who is unexpectedly swept up by a tornado and finds himself on a cloud. Thomas is shocked to find that the raindrops on this cloud speak to him, but he is also dealing with a more urgent matter: he cannot return home unless he defeats the lightning that throws the raindrops to the ground. Thomas meets some friendly raindrops along the way that help him, such as A Water and Drip, and his quest continues through a dangerous mission battling the lightning. After Thomas is captured, he must escape, and he finds out some unusual things about himself in the process. With delightful characters and a heroic boy as a main character, this book was a pleasure to read.

Children will enjoy the fun and imagination of Rainland. There is plenty of action and tension, and the story stays with the plot the entire time. With quirky talking raindrops and lightning bolts with faces, the book is entertaining and whimsical while just a touch dark in movement as it needs to be for a quest story. In the beginning of the story, I was a bit confused because we don’t know much about Thomas, but personality traits did emerge as the story moved on and he spoke with the fantasy characters. I especially enjoyed Drip and found his background endearing while somewhat sad. Author Sarah Allerding certainly has a vivid imagination, and I recommend this book as a terrific children’s read.