Actor and longtime educational advocate LeVar Burton has had more than 30 years’ experience speaking directly to children about grown-up situations, and The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm is a story that helps ease the fears and worries of a young child Mica Mouse lost her house in a terrible storm, and now she trembles when the weather turns rough. She’s not so different from other children who’ve experienced something very disturbing in their life or heard about tragic or frightening events in the news. Mica’s father tells her the story of a brave blue rhinoceros who learns how to get through rough times with friendship, helpers, love, and by “feeling your feelings.” LeVar Burton has poured a lifetime of experience storytelling to children into The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm, and the result is more than a book-it’s a manual for finding the light in the midst of dark times. When little Mica Mouse is scared by thunder booming outside her cozy home, Papa Mouse reaches for just the right story to comfort her. Hugging her close, he begins to read The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm. In this poetic book-within-a-book, a happy little rhinoceros is overwhelmed by a storm that sweeps away everything he loves. Swallowing the storm just makes him feel worse, so Rhino sets off on a whimsical journey toward healing. Along the way, he meets many friends, including a kind spider, a brave kangaroo, a wise tortoise, and an uplifting whale. With their help, Rhino lets go of the storm inside and learns to see the light in a world turned gray. Mica Mouse is soothed by the story and Papa’s gentle reminder that even though bad things sometimes happen, the world is full of people who care. In his first children’s book, longtime Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton gives us an engaging resource to help children express their feelings and navigate through difficult experiences. The “Take a Deeper Look” page at the end of the book even provides discussion questions to facilitate a healing dialogue.
