Winston’s Wet is a children’s picture book written by Megan Cline and illustrated by Sakshi Mangal. Winston is a wombat who is miserable as he wants to play but it is far too hot to play outside. When his mother suggests playing under the sprinkler, Winston changes into his swimming costume and eagerly runs outside. To Winston’s amazement, he sees a rainbow coming off the spray of water but he is unable to catch the rainbow no matter how hard he tries. Winston soon learns how rainbows are formed, why they are so special, and that they can be shared with anyone.

I absolutely loved the simplicity of this book which, although presented quite simply as an illustrated children’s book, the lessons learned are extremely valuable to a growing mind. Memories of playing in the sprinkler as a child flooded my own head and, just like Winston, I was thrilled by those wonderful days gone by. Most days in Australia during the summer, playing under the sprinkler was the only way to enjoy the scorching hot days. The delight in discovering how things like rainbows are made is one that can never be taken away from a child. Megan Cline not only makes suggestions to a young reader about fun ways to make a hot day pass but also teaches children that there is fun to be found all around you if you truly look. I very much enjoyed Winston’s Wet and recommend it to all young readers aged 4-8 years of age so they can also learn the joys presented to us by Mother Nature.

Winston the young wombat is back in his third little adventure. In Megan Cline’s Winston’s Wet, the book opens on a very hot day, with Winston thinking that he can’t bear the heat while playing outside. His inventive mother suggests turning on the sprinkler so he can run through the water. Excited by the idea, Winston puts on his swimming costume, and what follows is a fun-filled summer day. It doesn’t stop there as Winston discovers the magic of a rainbow that appears. Full of curiosity, the young wombat wants to find out where the arch of colors came from, and why he can’t touch it. Luckily, his mother is there to help explain nature’s wonders, enlightening her youngster on the miracles of nature that touch our hearts, much like love and friendship, and that some things are meant to be felt with the heart.

Through this simple story, Megan Cline shows us that children are predisposed to ask questions and want answers on anything that strikes their fancy. Parents will offer different answers. Winston’s Wet shows that a loving parent will do the best he/she can to provide a sound explanation and that these moments of Q & A reinforce the bond between parent and child. Illustrated by Sakshi Mangal, the art captures the atmosphere of summer as Winston frolics around the sprinkler in the yard. The thick, black outlines of her drawings let young readers look at the images comfortably as these are illustrated with good handling of tone and scale. This is a charming read-aloud bedtime story, and you can expect your child to ask questions after you are done reading.