Outside, Inside

Outside, Inside is a gem of a book, and sadly, out of print. Used copies are available on Amazon. I picked mine up at a garage sale, where I was told that it had been a favorite book in the seller's household when her kids were younger. Charlie enjoys it as well.

The book is about a thunderstorm that lasts a whole morning. One sentence and accompanying illustration describe what is happening outside, and the next sentence and illustration describe what is happening indoors in a little girl's house at the same time. The text is highly evocative of the sounds, textures, sights, even smells associated with a rainstorm and a day spent indoors. ("Outside, the rain spills from the clouds, shussh-wissh, shussh-wissh, shussh-wish. Inside, the clock ticks in the hall, tink-tunk, tink-tunk, tink-tunk. Outside, puddles bubble and churn with the falling rain. Inside, maple syrup slips down a pancake mountain.")

The illustrations are made of cut-paper and are very neat to look at. They feel both simple and complex at the same time -- simple in their use of few colors per item, but complex in the intricacy of the shapes that have been created. A number of animals make an appearance also--a cat inside, birds, frogs, and rabbits outside.

The entire book has a quiet, peaceful, natural, uplifting feel to it. The story is told with a minimum of words, and largely implied. This contributes to the quiet atmosphere that is created when reading it. The girl is not bored or unhappy that it's raining and she's stuck inside for the day. She simply finds indoor ways to amuse herself (playing marbles, baking cookies). When the storm ends, she is also happy to open the door and breathe the fresh air. I love books that can create a mood for their readers, and this book certainly does that.