On the Same Day in March: A Tour of the World's Weather

by Marilyn Singer, Frané Lessac (Illustrator)

In this poetic exploration of longitude and weather, with bright and detailed paintings of seventeen different places, Marilyn Singer and Frané Lessac show us what's happening from the poles to the equator—all on the same day in March. This beautiful and accessible picture book explores how on the same day that it's icy cold in the Artic, it's foggy in Louisiana, sunny in Barbados, and blowing wild winds called willy-willies in Austrailia... "A meteorological trip around the globe, pointing out the drastically different weather conditions that can occur in various places, all on the same day." (Publishers Weekly) "Classes engaged in units on weather or world geography will find this book most interesting. Others will enjoy the repetition, the detailed illustrations, and the tiny taste of faraway places. A useful and engaging addition." (School Library Journal)

Genres: Picture Books, Geography, Science, Nonfiction, Childrens, Poetry, Cultural

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Marilyn Singer was born in the Bronx (New York City) on October 3, 1948 and lived most of her early life in N. Massapequa (Long Island), NY. She attended Queens College, City University of New York, and for her junior year, Reading University, England. She holds a B.A. in English from Queens and an M.A. in Communications from New York University.

In 1974, after teaching English in New York City high schools for several years, she began to write - initially film notes, catalogues, teacher's guides and film strips. Then, one day, when she was sitting in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, she penned a story featuring talking insect characters she'd made up when she was eight. Encouraged by the responses she got, she wrote more stories and in 1976 her first book, The Dog Who Insisted He Wasn't, was published by E.P.Dutton & Co.

Since then, Marilyn has published over seventy books for children and young adults. Her genres are many and varied, including realistic novels, fantasies, non-fiction, fairy tales, picture books, mysteries and poetry. She likes writing many different kinds of books because it's challenging and it keeps her from getting bored. She has won several Children's Choice and Parents' Choice Awards, as well as the following: the Creature Carnival, Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book, 2005; I Believe in Water: Twelve Brushes with Religion, New York Public Library's "Best Books for the Teen Age," 2001; Stay True: Short Stories for Strong Girls, Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2000 (YALSA); On the Same Day in March, Booklist's Top Ten Science Books of 2000; NCSS-CBC Notable Book, 2000; Deal with a Ghost, finalist, YA category, Edgar Award, 1998; It Can't Hurt Forever, Maud Hart Lovelace Award, 1983; The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 1983; Turtle in July, NCTE Notable, N.Y.Times Best Illustrated and Time Magazine Best Children's Books of 1989; Turtle in July was also a Reading Rainbow review book.

Marilyn currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband Steve; their standard poodle Oggi, a cousin of their beloved and recently departed poodle Easy, seen in the home page photo; a cat named August ; two collared doves named Jubilee and Holiday; and a starling named Darling. Her interests include dog training, reading, hiking, bird-watching, gardening, meditation, playing computer adventure games and going to the movies and the theatre. She's also a major Star Trek fan.

Reviews

[Agnė · Rating 3 out of 5]

In lyrical free verse, this informational picturebook introduces K-3 students to a variety of weather conditions in seventeen different places around the world on the same day in March.

The endpapers provide a world map, in which all the places mentioned in the text are marked. Also, the author’s note at the end of the book explains the phenomenon of the seasons.

However, Frané Lessac's childlike illustrations are not my favorite:

[Paul Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had found this before March rather than at the end of the month, but, nonetheless, here is a celebration of a month that comes in "like a lion and goes out like a lamb." Which makes simple sense if one lives in an area where lions and lambs are indigenous.

Marylin Singer, with the flattened-out, collage-like illustrations of Frane' Lessac, takes us around this world in this companion piece to 9 O'CLOCK LULLABY to explore a day in March around the world anchored by the anaphora, "On the same day in March. . ." (making the entire text one that could be broken up over the seventeen regions that are presented inviting geography teachers into the book that can be shared across content areas--which makes me think about an idea for a book called "With the Same Book in (insert content area here).

Obviously, in March--particularly in the area where I live--tornadoes become a reality in the early spring areas. Singer does not shy away from the realities of weather patterns and a Texas Panhandle tornado performs a unexpected service:

But it did suck up a bucket of water
and give Grandma's dirty old truck
the first wash it's had in weeks.

A hailstorm in Darjeeling has a little girl thinking:

. . .the moon has broken and scattered
its necklace of pearls.

While some regions get a longer piece, the shorter lines are a super example of succinctness of description inviting younger writers to think about how they would describe elements in longer and shorter pieces.

What Singer offers in ON THE SAME DAY IN MARCH is a nice look at what non-fiction can look like with a poetic approach. Each vignette within the book serves as a portal to a deeper conversation regarding geography and culture making this book more than a genre-specific book to share with younger readers.

[Stephanie Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea for this book. However, the language was obscure enough that for a younger crowd (preschool to 1st grade, who would really benefit from the concept involved), figuring out what is actually going on weather-wise would be a bit tricky. Also, it'd be hard for little kids to understand where in the world you are talking about without a little map available on every page. The one on the endpage of the book doesn't really cut it.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love her and this is a great concept for a book. I love that it doesn't rhyme but is in free verse, it has some nice rhythm to it. I kinda wish it was set in a different season of the year. Having it in spring/autumn makes it a little tougher to differentiate which season it is, although the bookends of the sun rising in the Artic and setting in Antarctica is nice. Back matter does explain the phenomenon of seasons well. Altogether a successful effort.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book but I think it was a little too old for my group of children. We began a unit on space. This book helped explain the Earth's tilt and what it causes.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a clever concept. Jump around the world on the same day in March everywhere from Antarctica to Kenya. This is a fun book to share as part of a weather, global perspectives or social studies unit.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as an introduction to our homeschool weather study. It’s an interesting concept, and gave us a lot to discuss about similarities and differences in weather around the world.

[Erika Graves · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book goes around the world and talks about how the weather is different in various cities. After the description of the weather in each city, the title is repeated. The children love to say this part themselves throughout the book. I think this book is a good way to start the discussion with children that weather isn't the same everywhere. Younger students can benefit from talking about differences in the weather throughout the world. They can also use this book to look at different cities throughout the world and look at pictures of their culture. Older students could use this book to talk about how and why weather patterns change due to the tilt of the Earth's axis. You could also discuss the differences in weather patterns as they relate to distance from the equator. At the end of the book there is an author's note with information about the Earth's axis as well as a map showing where each city is located. The map would help depict how weather changes based on distance from the equator.

[Chris Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great idea for a book! Start at the North Pole and work your way down the globe, describing different weather on the same day. Many of Singer's vignettes in different locations stand alone as poems, but taken as a whole they open up the world to students and encourage them to put their tiny place of the world in the context of the whole planet. I would bring a globe and a flashlight out after reading this book to start discussing the relationship between Earth, the sun and our weather and seasons.

[Niena Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose the book "On the Same Day in March: A tour of the World's Weather" by Marilyn Singer because I believe it is important to have multicultural books in the classroom. Singer did a great job with naming the places and describing the climate for each. The illustrations were amazing and provided a clear image of each place. I highly recommend using this book in a 2nd grade or higher classroom to describe weather all around the world. I recommend that every teacher has this book.

[Emily B.]

I love the idea of the story but i'm sure my multicultural children's literature professor might have a problem about the stereotypes mentioned. I think the story would have been more accurate if specific tribes were mentioned rather then assuming an entire country is represented in a single picture.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book--it is definatly for older grade school kids, but can still be read aloud. It really encourages thinking about weather and the world as a global interconnected entity. This would work well as part of either a school or library program on the globe and weather.

[Jen]

Great science concept - shows seasonal variations around the earth, sparking conversation about time zones, weather patterns, hemispheres (Christmas in the summer!), the date line....
I didn't care for the illustrations much though.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son likes this book, as it has colorful pictures, and a nice meter to it. I like it because it introduces him to the idea of a world outside his, a concept that he is currently unaware of. Plus, seasons and basic weather terms are brought up. A great learning book.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a map in front and each page is a different place on the same day...around the world. It's good for studying weather and how it changes based on geography of where you are located on the world.

[Pamela Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of Marilyn Singer's reverso poetry so I was excited to see picture book by her. While this one is not poetry, it was still beautifully written and takes the reader around the world of weather on the same day in March.

[Ellen Brandt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ties into second grade curriculum of weather (science) and geography (social studies). Not the best read aloud, but the students help find the locations on a globe

[Emerson School Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

read aloud Jan 2011 to 1st grade
supported weather unit

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

love the concept -- how different the weather is, all across the world, on the same day.

[Marguarite Markley · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice for teachers who want to compare different climates in different regions of the world...also the illustrations can start discussions for other cultural customs, dress, etc.

Nicely done

[Nakitah]

Highlights a wide variety of weather conditions throughout the world on the same day in march. This will go great with a weather unit

[Silas · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting. this book was a present for Levi and Arlo from Aunt Suz.

[Karyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neat concept but I'm not sure kindergarteners will get it.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good idea for a book, but this one just didn't click with me for whatever reason.

[Dana Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great science concept - shows seasonal variations around the earth, sparking conversation about time zones, weather patterns, hemispheres (Christmas in the summer!), the date line....

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the fact that the world has a large variety of weather and temperature in the course of the same day. It does it with poetrty and it is beautiful.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

A concept book about how climate changes as you move from north to south on the same day.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great world you of the weather, in both pictures and text!

[Yan Zhou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This informative book introduces 17 kinds of weather in March around the world from the Arctic, where the sun rises and remains in the six months, to the Antarctic, where the sun sets for the same long cold time. The involved places include Alberta(Canada), Paris, New York City, Texas Panhandle, Nile Valley, Lousiana Bayou, Xi’an(China), Darjeeling, India, Central Thailand, Darkar(Senegal), Barbados, Northern Kenya, Amazon Basin, Darwin(Australia) and Patagonia(Argentina) and covered different weather. The language of the book is poetic and the content of bok deals with weather. It provides readers with different perspectives of weather in different places in the whole world.

I chose this book as my WOW book because the illustration is very in detail and children can have a vivid idea of different weather around the world at the same time. Meanwhile, it is a good book for science. Students can know the world’s climate region by taking a trip through the latitudes on the same day and by creating a climograph.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the concept of looking at the weather in different parts of the world on the same day is so cool. It teaches how some parts of the world are coming out of winter while others are going into fall, and how some parts of the world don't have as extreme of seasonal changes. However, the book does not make this explicit at all.

I think the book would have been improved by having a clear "flight plan" or order of the places mentioned. Maybe a "passenger" could help with continuity between places? A mini-map on each page could orient children to where on the globe they were. As it was, I tried to point out each city on my globe while we read about it, but my first-grader asked me to stop. The book definitely needs a teacher to help children learn more about the concept it presents.