Common Sense Media Review
Educational book celebrates the coming of Monsoon season.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
The Mexican and Spanish American family in HIP, HIP, HOORAY, IT'S MONSOON DAY!/ AJÚA, YA LLEGÓ EL CHUBASCO! celebrates the start of monsoon season, shows animals preparing for a storm and a family practicing storm safety.
Is It Any Good?
At once celebratory and educational, this Rivera-Ashford's bilingual book honors both a Mexican and Spanish heritage as the Arizona-Sonoran Desert welcomes the beginning of monsoon season. All are grateful for the water the storm will bring, and grandparents pass on their traditions and stories to their grandchildren. Kids will love to hear the storm's sounds and see the different desert animals, while parents will appreciate the storm and desert safety tips. Both the English and Spanish are well written, and all content, including the glossary, is written both languages.
Richard Johnsen's watercolor, ink, and colored pencil illustrations convey wonder and emotion through the beauty of the desert and the summer storm. He also honors the family's multicultural heritage in his depictions.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how in Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford's Hip, Hip, Hooray, It's Monsoon Day!/Ajúa, Ya Llegó El Chubasco!, the family prepares for a big storm. How would you feel if you were in a monsoon? What can we do to prepare for storms?
Have you seen what different animals do to prepare for storms? What happened?
The family conserves their water, even bathing in the rainwater. What are some ways we could limit our water use?
The family in the story has at least three different ethnic origins. Where do different parts of your family come from? How do you honor and remember your culture and traditions?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Richard Johnsen
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Animals ( Wild Animals ) , History , Holidays , STEM
- Character Strengths : Communication , Curiosity , Gratitude
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press
- Publication date : July 11, 2007
- Number of pages : 42
- Available on : Hardback
- Last updated : December 3, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate