Look at the Weather

by Britta Teckentrup (Author)

Look at the Weather
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
When you stop to think about it, weather is incredible: it's whimsical, varied, ever-present, sometimes destructive and other times, beautiful. This immersive illustrated nonfiction book is an invitation for readers to ponder weather and approach it with a newfound sense of understanding, awe, and wonder. Through four chapters--sun, rain, ice and snow, and extreme weather--this book explores different weather phenomena, from rainbows and sunsets to clouds, frost, and rainstorms. Moments of distress and destruction are offset by the calm after a storm or the peaceful feeling of a blanket of fresh snow. Evocative paintings convey the sheer power of weather, while lyrical text captures the richness of our natural environment. The book takes an inspiring tone rather than an exhaustive, factual one. The book explicitly makes the links between extreme weather, climate change, and human activity, and poses questions often, inviting young readers to observe and inquire about their own environment or to imagine other ones.
Select format:
Hardcover
$21.95

Kirkus

Starred Review

An immersive, inviting mix of appealing art and information. (Nonfiction. 5-10)


Publishers Weekly

German author-artist Teckentrup (Oskar and Mo) devotes four chapters of this long-format picture book to aspects of the weather: "Sun," "Rain," "Ice and Snow," and "Extreme Weather." Brief scientific facts ("When the air cools at night, the water vapor in the ground becomes dew") alternate with lyrical observations ("The setting sun spreads its golden light over the ground"). The pages offer anywhere from a single sentence to several short paragraphs opposite evocative, silkscreen-style landscapes and meditative views of skies brushed with clouds, snowflakes, and driving rain. The images create a sense of grandeur, but they're not detailed enough to represent cloud types or ice crystals, for example. Those interested in extreme weather may be disappointed by the calm, impressionistic representations of hurricanes and floods. The work is strongest when it looks at the way everyday weather makes humans feel and invites readers to reflect on their experiences. Each section finishes with questions: "Have you ever seen a sunset that seemed to fill the sky like a blanket of fire?" Climate change is broadly referred to toward the end but is not the book's main focus. Ages 7-up. (Apr.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-5--Fans of Tree and Bee will recognize Teckentrup's bold and vibrant art style as she now introduces the topic of weather to readers. Although not as playful as her other books, this title explores the different elements of weather phenomena in four chapters: "Sun," "Rain," "Ice and Snow," and "Extreme Weather." In short lyrical prose, Teckentrup captures ephemeral sights: "Look at the clouds. Some look whispery and barely there. Others are puffy, like giant fleecy cotton balls." Her full-page and sometimes spread-size landscape illustrations evocatively convey the incredible variations and sheer power of weather. These range from the sometimes beautiful to the sometimes destructive. This illustrated nonfiction book captures the richness of our natural environment and invites young readers to observe and wonder about the world around them. ("Can you see the halo around the moon" What does it mean? Is it a sign of wet weather?") VERDICT This would work wonderfully as an introduction in a weather unit, as well as a lovely nature-themed read-aloud. Recommended.--Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"This is a lovely and contemplative look at what tends to be the focus for many of our days."—Sal's Fiction Addiction
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781771472869
Lexile Measure
800
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Owlkids
Publication date
April 15, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF051100 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Environmental Science & Ecosystems
JNF037020 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Environmental Conservation & Protection
JNF051160 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Disasters
JNF037080 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Earth Sciences - Weather
Library of Congress categories
Weather
Environmentalism
Climate changes

Subscribe to our delicious e-newsletter!