W is for Wind: A Weather Alphabet

Sleeping Bear Alphabets

by Pat Michaels, Melanie Rose

Would you like to know the difference between cirrus and cumulus clouds? How much does our atmosphere weigh? W is for A Weather Alphabet is a swirl of information that answers these questions and many more. Readers will learn that yes, our atmosphere has weight! And if it's sunny, chances are it's heavy. When the atmosphere is lighter, grab your galoshes! W is for Wind is one well-informed children's book from the Sleeping Bear Press family that puts the emphasis on fun and function. It lets children learn all about the weather in a relaxed engaging manner. Professional weatherman and storm tracker Pat Michaels spins the stories on everything from tornadoes and hurricanes to rainbows and evaporation with gusto. His rhymes thunder through the alphabet with excitement and his factual text resonates like the Northern Lights. Readers will turn the pages with lightning quickness to get to the next weather condition and with each page turned they'll be treated to the mystical illustrations of Canadian-born artist Melanie Rose. Perfect in the classroom or the home, W is for Wind captures the love affair we all have with weather. It the perfect complement to a science lesson or to help explain to children what exactly happens when water freezes and much more with easy-to-understand language. Enriching, enlightening and educational could easily be the "E" in this one-of-a-kind weather alphabet book.

Genres: Science, Picture Books, Childrens, Nonfiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jackie Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

The picture on the cover is still my favorite for a number of reasons, but I thoroughly enjoyed the exploring and was impressed by the range of content for many ages and lovely connections between images and words, some of which I've included in the blog post: http://lunawings.blogspot.com/2021/09...

[Jonathan]

Is good. 👍🏻

[Sarah]

This is one of a whole series of non-fiction picture books for older children based around the alphabet. The illustrations are very nice, and it is very informative, perhaps too much so for some children, who would prefer a briefer overview. It is nicely divided with some text that goes with the pictures and can be read aloud, and longer explainations and history that can be used to find more information and explore the topic.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, this should be 3 1/2 stars. The illustrations are outstanding in this one, especially for F, H, I, L, and P. The sidebar information, for older readers, was useful and interesting, particularly the fact that Yuma, Arizona, is the sunniest place on earth. However, the rhymes for the younger readers were terrible! I think simple sentences, with no rhyming, would have worked better. Nevertheless, recommended for the great information (skip the rhymes!).

[Kia M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really one of the greatest science books I have ever read. As a child I didn't really like science, but I definitely think I would have enjoyed reading this book. Each letter of the alphabet is used to explain an aspect of weather. The fact that they were able to do this with a rhyme scheme is even better. This book is also very informational, very descriptive, and even gives more than one example of what the letter could also stand for. Definitely going in my classroom library.

[Maleigha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a great book to use for an introduction of the unit on the first day. It allows the students imagination to run wild as they listen to the terms and let the vivid illustrations dance through their heads. The story creates for a sense of wonder since many of the terms and vocabulary words will be new to them. More importantly, reading this story as an opener will ensure your students are eager to learn and start the unit.

[Esther · Rating 2 out of 5]

non-fiction weather alphabet!
extremely descriptive, great illustrations.
would suggest to condense for younger readers,
use the book to challenge growing readers.

[Sarah Kasper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would use this book in conjunction with a science lesson on weather. The book includes a narrative and informational captions about what each word represents. The pictures are very eye-catching.

[Kristen Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good ABC book with great illustrations as well. This book could be used in science also.

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the rhyming alphabet parts with Naomi and Julia. Went back and read the more lengthy explanations on the side bars on my own.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully illustrated book is about weather. For each letter there is information about the chosen weather word for that letter. Very interesting and educational facts.