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It's Raining Frogs and Fishes: Four Seasons of Natural Phenomena and Oddities of the Sky
Excellent Book
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
13 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Dennis
41 books47 followersJerry Dennis was born in Flint in 1954, and grew up in rural northern Michigan. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Louisville in 1981, after attending Northern Michigan University and Northwestern Michigan College.
As he began his writing career, he worked as a carpenter for five years. To date, he has written for many publications. Journalistic assignments sent him to Iceland, Chile, and extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Dennis married during this time to Gail. They currently live on the shores of Lake Michigan, not far from Traverse City.
Since 2000 he has been on the faculty of the University of Michigan's Bear River Writers Conference, where he teaches creative non-fiction and nature writing.
As of 2014, he is the author of ten books, his best known book is The Living Great Lakes, about his trip around the great lakes in a rickety ship. He was awarded a place on the Michigan Notable Books list for that book.
In 2014, in response to a pricing dispute between his publisher, MacMillan Press, and Amazon, Dennis set up his own publishing house, Big Maple Press, to produce books which will be sold only through independent booksellers.
His awards include: 2004 Michigan Notable Books, 2004 Sigurd Olsen Nature Writing Award, 2004 Great Lakes Culture Best Book Award Non-Fiction, 2004 The Stuart D. and Vernice M. Gross Award for Literature,
2003 Alumni Fellows Award, University of Louisville, College of Arts and Sciences,
1999 Michigan Author of the Year,
1993, 1996, 1998, and 2003 Best Book of the Year awarded by Outdoor Writers Association of America.
As he began his writing career, he worked as a carpenter for five years. To date, he has written for many publications. Journalistic assignments sent him to Iceland, Chile, and extensively throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Dennis married during this time to Gail. They currently live on the shores of Lake Michigan, not far from Traverse City.
Since 2000 he has been on the faculty of the University of Michigan's Bear River Writers Conference, where he teaches creative non-fiction and nature writing.
As of 2014, he is the author of ten books, his best known book is The Living Great Lakes, about his trip around the great lakes in a rickety ship. He was awarded a place on the Michigan Notable Books list for that book.
In 2014, in response to a pricing dispute between his publisher, MacMillan Press, and Amazon, Dennis set up his own publishing house, Big Maple Press, to produce books which will be sold only through independent booksellers.
His awards include: 2004 Michigan Notable Books, 2004 Sigurd Olsen Nature Writing Award, 2004 Great Lakes Culture Best Book Award Non-Fiction, 2004 The Stuart D. and Vernice M. Gross Award for Literature,
2003 Alumni Fellows Award, University of Louisville, College of Arts and Sciences,
1999 Michigan Author of the Year,
1993, 1996, 1998, and 2003 Best Book of the Year awarded by Outdoor Writers Association of America.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 9, 2018
This is one of those books you might get the wrong idea about from the title. I found it in the science section, and although Dennis mentions Charles Fort and his famous rains of fish, the book is really about the sky. This was serendipitous, as I'm fascinated by the sky.
Almost set up as a book to help parents answer their kids' questions about things like why the sky is blue, this book starts out in an almost off-putting way. It gets kind of technical and, although it explains a lot, the interesting stuff takes a while to kick in. Once it does, however, this becomes a wonderful book. Not only does it discuss weather, it also talks science about the sun, moon, stars, insects, birds, and meteors. Just about anything that can be seen in the sky. For the most part the explanations are non-technical and the information about birds is riveting. As a book for perhaps kids, it does go, however, into birds and bees as well, if you know what I mean.
Setting it up as the four seasons may have some utility, but for my money it really didn't help. The book could've been divided into phenomena and that would've maybe made for better organization. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Once I warmed up to it I found it informative and charming in places. Maybe not for the kids, though.
I posted about it on my blog too, Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
Almost set up as a book to help parents answer their kids' questions about things like why the sky is blue, this book starts out in an almost off-putting way. It gets kind of technical and, although it explains a lot, the interesting stuff takes a while to kick in. Once it does, however, this becomes a wonderful book. Not only does it discuss weather, it also talks science about the sun, moon, stars, insects, birds, and meteors. Just about anything that can be seen in the sky. For the most part the explanations are non-technical and the information about birds is riveting. As a book for perhaps kids, it does go, however, into birds and bees as well, if you know what I mean.
Setting it up as the four seasons may have some utility, but for my money it really didn't help. The book could've been divided into phenomena and that would've maybe made for better organization. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Once I warmed up to it I found it informative and charming in places. Maybe not for the kids, though.
I posted about it on my blog too, Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.
April 21, 2015
I enjoyed The Windward Shore: A Winter on the Great Lakes Jerry Dennis, and the title of this 1992 book by him intrigued me. I enjoy scientific non-fiction, and so the subtitle was also interesting.
Certainly this book has many wonderful details, and I smiled when Dennis says, in the introduction: "We've tried to make the book as useful as possible, dividing it by sections into four seasons, so it can be used as a kind of field guide. Hopefully it will anticipate some excellent questions. Perhaps it will make heroes of a few parents."
Every page is filled with tidbits, and I appreciate that he includes ancient myths as well as modern science. The scope of the book covers so much--wind, rain, stars, clouds, birds, insects, meteors, comets--whew!
So Dennis doesn't have much room for what I like best about his writing--those philosophical moments when he puts together sentences that touch my heart. This paragraph stands out for me, with his move into the poetic quality I enjoy in his writing:
"A good rain demands celebration. Water is the most precious substance on earth and yet it falls in abundance, freely, from the sky. We should catch it in silver bowls and tally every drop. It should inspire us, like children, to dance in circles, run stomping through puddles, and sing in gratitude."
I wanted more of those poetic visions of his along the way, along with all the interesting facts. And for me, the ending was very abrupt--it just stopped after the section on winter birds. How I wish he'd put in just a few extra pages of his poetic inspiration!
The illustrations by Gene Wolff are wonderfully intricate, and I enjoyed perusing his website: http://www.glennwolff.com/
Certainly this book has many wonderful details, and I smiled when Dennis says, in the introduction: "We've tried to make the book as useful as possible, dividing it by sections into four seasons, so it can be used as a kind of field guide. Hopefully it will anticipate some excellent questions. Perhaps it will make heroes of a few parents."
Every page is filled with tidbits, and I appreciate that he includes ancient myths as well as modern science. The scope of the book covers so much--wind, rain, stars, clouds, birds, insects, meteors, comets--whew!
So Dennis doesn't have much room for what I like best about his writing--those philosophical moments when he puts together sentences that touch my heart. This paragraph stands out for me, with his move into the poetic quality I enjoy in his writing:
"A good rain demands celebration. Water is the most precious substance on earth and yet it falls in abundance, freely, from the sky. We should catch it in silver bowls and tally every drop. It should inspire us, like children, to dance in circles, run stomping through puddles, and sing in gratitude."
I wanted more of those poetic visions of his along the way, along with all the interesting facts. And for me, the ending was very abrupt--it just stopped after the section on winter birds. How I wish he'd put in just a few extra pages of his poetic inspiration!
The illustrations by Gene Wolff are wonderfully intricate, and I enjoyed perusing his website: http://www.glennwolff.com/
July 2, 2017
Lovely little book, either to cruise through or dip into. Conversational writing style and beautiful illustration. While most of the lore and phenomena discussed are US centred, it's universal enough that it can still be enjoyed.
March 28, 2020
I love this book. It fed my nerdiness.
January 3, 2025
interesting but I knew most of it
Read
January 1, 2016Great explanation of so many natural events. As the author intended, you can find the answer to so many questions that you've wondered about.
But I could only read the first section which was about happenings in Spring and then had to put it down and think about it. This is not the lyrical, philosophic Jerry Dennis that I enjoyed in the past but an enjoyable teacher. I intend to read the rest of the seasons as they happen.
But I could only read the first section which was about happenings in Spring and then had to put it down and think about it. This is not the lyrical, philosophic Jerry Dennis that I enjoyed in the past but an enjoyable teacher. I intend to read the rest of the seasons as they happen.
August 7, 2009
I love this book! It is giving me all kinds of ideas for cool "air" powers in the next Gaia Girls book. Glenn Wolff's illustrations are amazing. I want posters of them! Thought I would share this as I am back to work on Gaia Girls Air Apparent.
January 16, 2016
It's Raining Frogs and Fishes: Four Seasons of Natural Phenomena and Oddities From the Sky by Jerry Dennis (Harper Collins 1992) (551.6) is a great book of the natural history of weather and weather-related phenomena. It's full of my kind of trivia. My rating: 6.5/10, finished 4/18/12.
August 26, 2016
Picked this one off the shelf because of its cover and title. I may not have learned much new information, apart from how entertainingly erroneous Pliny the Elder was, but it was a good refresher and reminder about how awesome our sky is.
July 8, 2007
Fun read as natural "oddities" are always excellent subjects. Informative too without being technical. Delightful.
July 24, 2008
Very interesting. From skies precipitating fish to rainbows in the fog, this brings out the mystical, magical side of the beauty of life.
January 18, 2010
One of my favorite nonfiction books. I read it again, and loved it again. Ahhhh... it just makes my brain feel good.
June 10, 2010
great book on seasons
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February 24, 2014It is fairly infomitive and I look forward to flaunt what I learned at the next picnic I attend.
Read
February 15, 2016An interesting read about the seasons, weather, the sky, our planet and space. Many fascinating facts that I will forget. Now I know where to find them.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews