A Drop Around the World: The Science Of Water Cycles On Planet Earth For Kids

by Barbara McKinney, Michael S. Maydak (Illustrator)

Follow a single drop of water through the water cycle in this book about rain for kids! This beautifully illustrated book is an earth science classic that parents, teachers, and kids will all want! In this story of water, readers travel the globe following a drop of water on its natural journey through the water cycle from a liquid, to a solid, and all the way through evaporation. The seamless blending of science and story make learning fun, and readers will be inspired to appreciate the world around us! Great for anyone looking

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

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1998

Reviews

[Karen Upper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nonfiction picture set to rhyme that centers around the water cycle, specifically a 'droplet' and its journey as it transforms many times 'around the world'
Soft, yet vibrant pastel-like illustrations enable the reader to span many cultures around the global, following the 'drop'.
Promotes science, water cycle .
Highly recommended for any library!

[Hatka Kecalovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is A Drop Around the World by Barbara McKinney. This book can be used in 4 to 5 grade classrooms. This book can be used for lessons on physical changes with properties of solids, liquids, and gases. This book shows water’s forms and the water cycle and illustrates how water impacts plants, animals and human society around the world.

[Kristin Traina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to the water cycle. The poetry makes it fun to read and it gives it something special as indirect. The book could also be used to introduce weather.
Grade: 1st- changes in water dealing with weather, 4th- water cycle

[Ardyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations. Fairly sophisticated vocabulary delivered in rhyming couplets. Re-read friendly.

[Lena Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A Drop Around the World: The Science Of Water Cycles On Planet Earth For Kids" is a children's book written by Barbara Shaw McKinney and illustrated by Michael S. Maydak. The book takes readers on a journey around the world, exploring the water cycle and how it affects different regions and people.

The main character in the book is a single drop of water, which serves as a guide for the reader throughout the story. The setting of the book is diverse, as it explores different regions around the world and the unique challenges they face in relation to the water cycle.

The plot of the book follows the journey of the drop of water as it evaporates from the ocean, travels through the atmosphere, falls as precipitation, and flows into rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water. Along the way, the drop of water interacts with different characters, such as a polar bear, a farmer, and a city dweller, highlighting the importance of water for all living things.

The illustrations in the book are colorful and engaging, with detailed depictions of the different regions and characters featured in the story. Overall, "A Drop Around the World" is an informative and engaging book that teaches children about the water cycle in a fun and accessible way.

[Bianca Mazur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book is a great start to teaching children about water and the different things it can create. Throughout the book it takes the reader through the different environments water can be in. For example, it shows farms, people's yards, the forest, etc. At first, it talks about the different states of water (rain, ice, snow, humidity, etc). Also, the book states how important water is to wildlife and any living thing. When animals drink water, it shows where it goes throughout the body which I thought was very interesting. I like this book because it teaches why water freezes and how water turns to vapor or how it starts to thunderstorm. It is a mini science lesson in a book that is fun with pictures. At the very end, it shows a rainbow which is exactly what happens after it rains outside. The last line in this book is "Let the children take care of the water on Earth, conserve it, protect it, and value its worth." Children do not realize how important water is until learning about how it provides and impacts everyone's lives. The cover of the book is a raindrop with a face falling through the sky. It is showing a little bit of rain going toward Earth.

[Shumaysah Qureshi]

A drop around the world by Barbara Shaw McKinney is a nonfiction book that focuses on the global water cycle. This book tells a story of the journey of a drop of water. It starts from the ocean going through multiple forms and stages like rain, ice, and snow while it travels the globe. The book emphasizes the importance of water to every living creature and the environment. It encourages readers to think of ways to conserve and protect our water. The author is explaining evaporation, condensation, and precipitation in a simple manner to make it easier for the young readers. This book also celebrates the diversity in cultures and the different places all around the world. The book conveys a message that water is a unifying element around work and is how we connect with people everywhere. Educators can use this book to teach the importance of water and the different stages and forms of water. It's a unique book written with engaging literary tones and colorful illustrations to catch the eye of the reader. This is a bias free book as it is about nature and is embracing different cultures and not stereotyping

[Hannah Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Drop around the world by Barbara McKinney and Michael Maydak is a n informational picture book describing the science of water on earths surface. More specifically it describes the water cycle and takes the reader through the vents that happen to water through the perspective of the water droplet. The droplet travels through different countries and different states such as evaporation, precipitation, condensation etc. This is a really good informational picture book that helps a student visualize each step that water goes through. A lot of the times visuals can help a student understand a process more efficiently and this book does that well. The illustrations are also very beautifully done with what looks like paint on a canvas. I would recommend this book for a science lesson on the water cycle.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lovely book I read aloud to my 1st grade son. It had lovely pictures and the prose of the language was very nice too. It creatively showed the process of the water cycle in a more poetic form of all of the various ways and places a drop of water falls to the earth. I appreciated the appendix part where it gave you further information about the science behind it.

I would have appreciated it if it was a bit more organized in thought. The focus was more poetic than structural science, so unless you were paying attention and processing everything, you might not pick up the cyclical process of the water cycle. But overall a great book that I enjoyed a lot.

[n · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know I'm not the target audience, but I got bored rather quickly by the repeating themes; I feel like a lot of the kid I work with would also find it immensely boring (especially in the target audience of 5-12 years old). It's pretty repetitious, even for a children's book.

I also wasn't a fan of the stereotypical art for Asians that was done. One scene is in Japan, and of course it's a little geisha girl? Despite the fact the overwhelming majority of girls in Japan aren't, you know, geisha.

[Molly Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a single water drop that travels around the world. The reader of the book gets to travel with drop and see all of the new environments that it travels to within the water cycle. This book is great for the 4th grade because that is the grade that students are starting to learn about the water cycle, after reading the book I would have a worksheet with the water cycle on it and have them name the places that the water drop traveled within the book.

[Summer Gaines · Rating 4 out of 5]

A creative children's book that takes young readers on a journey around the world, following a single water droplet. The book explores the importance of water and the water cycle, showing how water connects people and places across the globe. The book includes simple experiments and activities that parents and teachers can do with children to help them learn about water and the environment. The book also includes a glossary of terms for those who may not know what some words mean.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A drop of rain is a drop of life--a drop of eternity. Barbara Shaw McKinney and illustrator Michael Maydak take us on an "out of sight" journey from Maine to Mumbai, with just one raindrop as it touches plant, animal, and human life all around the world. Traveling with Drop, readers will see the world, inside and out, from solid, liquid, and vaporous viewpoint. Full color.

[Lily Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an easy way to explain to students the water cycle and could be used in an earth science lesson. As students watch the water droplet travel around different parts of the world they can begin to understand how much humans use and reuse water. I would recommend this book for elementary ages.

[Skyla Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book talks about a water drop moving around the world. It drops on a mountain as snow. Moves to the lake and melts in April, it moves to the river and then to a man-made lake. It gets pumped, filtered, and purified. It goes to a water hose that waters a cow. Then comes out as milk that gets spilled on the ground.

[Cailyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written & illustrated, but it attempts to cover a lot of ground in a pretty disorganized way. It definetly does a great job of simplifying complex processes, but I think it would require a lot of time reading and explaining to make sure students are understanding the content here.

[Elijah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for teaching students the path water takes in many forms from atmospheric to biosphere forms and anywhere in between. It is also a great search and find book with the character being a water droplet.

[Noelani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most wonderful picture book and story about the water cycle following Droplet’s journey throughout the world. Droplet evaporates, forms into condensation, precipitation, snowflakes, groundwater, drinking water, perspiration and a child can locate Droplet on each page. Very well done.

[Jeanette Hargreaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than just the water cycle, this book will get kids thinking about the importance of water and the amazing journey that drop of water has been on.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun way to learn about the water cycle...krb 4/1/19

[Becca Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great story and great way for young kids to learn about the water cycle. It's a cute story with great illustrations.

[Jesika Glass · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a cute book, but a little too long for my preschoolers to follow along with...

[Tabby Tomlinson]

A great book that follows a drop of water through the water cycle. This is a great book to incorporate in the science classroom or for nonfiction in language arts.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing water cycle book for upper elementary students!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another good story about the water cycle. Again, it's written in verse, but is much longer and probably for upper elementary. I like that in the back it talks about each symbol, which represented a water cycle stage. And those symbols are throughout the story. This could give students the main idea that water moves through MANY different cycles and doesn't go to just one. It really shows that it doesn't end after one cycle.
In the back there is mention of a teachers guide.

[Ruqayya Jarad · Rating 5 out of 5]

A drop Around the World, by Barbara Shaw McKinney.
This is a great book about water cycle and the adventure of a Drop of water as the main character where it goes to different places such as a cow's stomach, on mountain peaks, floods, or coral reef. There is a lot of vocabulary that describe the water cycle with pictures that explain and help to understand the new and advanced words. This book expands children's awareness of the water cycle around the world.

[Karley]

Great book when exploring the water cycle! This book also explores rhyming and different parts of the world. I love the use of symbols throughout the story too!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for the 2nd time. Great book for studying the water cycle. Cute illustration and poetry that follows a drop of water around the world.

[Skye Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cool book to introduce the water cycle!

[Amanita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do note that this book shows cows producing milk for human consumption and a matador fighting a bull.