Personalised rainy day picture book for child: your child and the Puddle Map

What happens in your child and the Puddle Map

1. Your child pulls on boots and steps into a rainy street.
2. A long puddle reflects an arrow-shaped patch of sky.
3. Your child follows puddles past gates, trees and a bubbling drain.
4. A small snail joins the route beside the kerbside stream.
5. The final puddle makes a map-shaped reflection close to home.

How the first page could read

Rain taps on your child's yellow hood as they step outside with a grown-up. The pavement shines, the kerbside stream chatters, and every puddle holds a wobbly piece of the sky. Then your child spots something curious: a trail of bright reflections leading all the way along their street.

Your child’s name, look and little details replace these words, and the whole story is written for their age.

Why this story works

For children aged 2–5, rain can turn an ordinary walk into something worth stopping for. This story keeps the setting reassuringly close to home while giving your child a clear, playful purpose: spotting and following puddle clues. There is room for simple, familiar language about boots, wet pavements, reflections, drains and snails, with repeated opportunities to point at what your child can see. Parents can add their child’s own little details when creating the book, so the rainy-day route feels personal. It is a gentle choice for reading after a wet walk, while waiting for the rain to ease, or alongside a pair of wellies by the door.

Reading it together

• Read it after a rainy walk and pause to remember puddles your child spotted outside.
• Ask your child to point to the reflections, streams and hidden route on each spread.
• Keep the book near outdoor clothes for a calm read before putting on boots.

Suggested art style: Storybook watercolour

Soft watercolour washes suit wet pavements, cloudy skies and the wobbly reflections in each puddle. A sidekick idea: a slow little snail with a shiny trail. You can pick any of the four styles and change the details in the form.