Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
W is for Wind: A Weather Alphabet
Illustrator: Melanie Rose
Nonfiction Picture Book Series
For ages 5 to 10
Sleeping Bear Press, 2006 ISBN: 978-1585363308
Did you know that the elements of what we call the weather are all connected? Did you know that clouds "are the water buckets of the world" on which all life depends? Do you know why dew forms? These are just a few of the questions that are answered in this fascinating and beautifully presented picture book.
For every letter of the alphabet the author describes an element of the weather, a tool that is used to measure the weather, or some other weather related topic. For the letter P for example he tells us about precipitation. He begins with a short rhyming poem and then, in a side bar, he talks about precipitation further. The poem is perfectly suited to the younger reader and the side bar offers up the kind of information that an older reader would be interested in. The book can therefore be enjoyed on many levels by readers of many ages. For each letter of the alphabet the poem and the side bar are illustrated with a painting which captures the essence of the word being described.
Full of often surprising information, this book will give readers a very clear picture of how their world and their lives are affected by the world's weather.
