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The Storm Book
A Caldecott Honor book about a little boy’s curiosity during a summer storm, poetically written by celebrated author Charlotte Zolotow and with stunning illustrations by Margaret Bloy Graham. This beautifully crafted story is perfect to pull out and enjoy on rainy days and for classroom discussions on weather patterns. It is a day in the country. Quiet, dusty, expectant. Everything is hot and still. Then the hazy sky begins to shift. Something is astir, something soundless. Shadows move over the world. And then it happens! Shooting through the sky like starlight… What was that?
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
5 people are currently reading
699 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Zolotow
101 books79 followersCharlotte Zolotow was a distinguished American writer, editor, and publisher who made a lasting mark on children's literature. Over her career, she authored around 70 picture book texts and edited works by prominent writers including Paul Zindel, Robert Lipsyte, and Francesca Lia Block. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, she studied writing at the University of Wisconsin Madison and later joined Harper & Bros in New York, where she worked her way up from secretary to publisher. Her own books were published by over 20 houses, and she became known for her poetic and emotionally insightful texts. Zolotow’s most celebrated works include When the Wind Stops, William’s Doll, and River Winding. Her story "Enemies" was featured in The Big Book for Peace alongside other notable authors. She lived for many years in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Her legacy endures not only through her own writing but also through the Charlotte Zolotow Award, established in 1998 to honor outstanding picture book texts. Her contributions helped shape modern children's literature with sensitivity, elegance, and enduring relevance.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
January 29, 2018
This book has lovely artwork - looks like watercolors. Part of my biggest issue with the book is it had a beautiful to page drawing and then beautifully written 2 page story, no pictures, then another beautiful picture on 2 pages. Maybe its just me and I'm used to have words and pictures on every page.
The kids weren't too into this one either. The blank white pages with words didn't keep their interest for long and they were fidgety.
I think this is simply a good book and it didn't resonate with me as well as others.
The kids weren't too into this one either. The blank white pages with words didn't keep their interest for long and they were fidgety.
I think this is simply a good book and it didn't resonate with me as well as others.
February 10, 2023
If you are reaching for Charlotte Zolotow's The Storm Book (which brilliant descriptively evocative accompanying illustrations won a 1953 Caldecott Honour award for illustrator Margaret Bloy Graham) because you are wanting to read an adventure or severe weather disaster style of account, you will more than likely be rather disappointed (for The Storm Book is basically and simply just a sweetly gentle, tenderly descriptive depiction of what precisely and actually occurs during a standard but not overly severe thunderstorm in the country, in the city, in the mountains).
With a perfect (at least in my humble opinion) marriage of Charlotte Zolotow's informative but also caressingly soft narrative and Margaret Bloy Graham's always evocative, realistically imaginative and esoteric images, the meticulous details of rain, of thunder, lightning and finally a rainbow are featured, are represented quietly and calmly, without excitement, without exaggeration, utterly enchantingly, beautifully. And for me personally, in every way a full five glowing stars for The Storm Book (and really, not only a lovely textual coming to life of a traditional, standard summer thunderstorm, the rich and expressive vocabulary choices of The Storm Book, the minutely informative and detailed narrative would of course also be perfect for students from about kindergarten to grade two or three to practice language arts, word usage, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and of course, prepositions). Highly recommended!
With a perfect (at least in my humble opinion) marriage of Charlotte Zolotow's informative but also caressingly soft narrative and Margaret Bloy Graham's always evocative, realistically imaginative and esoteric images, the meticulous details of rain, of thunder, lightning and finally a rainbow are featured, are represented quietly and calmly, without excitement, without exaggeration, utterly enchantingly, beautifully. And for me personally, in every way a full five glowing stars for The Storm Book (and really, not only a lovely textual coming to life of a traditional, standard summer thunderstorm, the rich and expressive vocabulary choices of The Storm Book, the minutely informative and detailed narrative would of course also be perfect for students from about kindergarten to grade two or three to practice language arts, word usage, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and of course, prepositions). Highly recommended!
January 12, 2013
What a surprising treasure with such an unsuspecting title. While the text looks like narrative, it reads like poetry, and is so descriptive that it is worth reading without the illustrations. The paintings (watercolors?) are striking too and a great match for the text. The text and paintings alternate two-page spreads and this has irritated me in other books, but for this one the reading only built anticipation for the coming illustration, not unlike the anticipation building for the coming storm.
June 24, 2010
Nice, poetic text and Margaret Bloy Graham's awesome panoramic watercolors:
A hot, listless summer day gives way to storms, as experienced by a little boy in the country, a man in the city, and old fisherman at the seashore, and a shepherd and his wife in the mountains.
A hot, listless summer day gives way to storms, as experienced by a little boy in the country, a man in the city, and old fisherman at the seashore, and a shepherd and his wife in the mountains.
July 29, 2025
Such lovely descriptions of a storm in the country, in the city and beyond. And the illustrations are divine!
Ages: 5 - 9
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Ages: 5 - 9
See which rainy day books our family is enjoying: watch my reel!
Content Considerations: nothing to note.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide Content Considerations, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
If you’re considering a book or looking for a new title to read, check out my highly categorized shelves, read my reviews and Friend or Follow me to spiff up your feed with clean, wholesome, living books.
I have an Instagram account that’s pretty bookishly unique too!
November 26, 2008
What I loved most about this book was the author's imagery. She could paint a picture with words, and have it still be understandable to children. The way she described the scenery around the farm and the way the rain pummeled down from the sky was lovely. I enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it.
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
*Taken from my book reviews blog: http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2008...
April 5, 2016
There is a storm. Various people experience it. Men (sailors, shepherds) bravely struggle with the storm; women watch the storm from safe inside while taking care of children. Storms are wet.
June 21, 2019
Too much text and pictures are on separate pages. It won’t hold the attention of small children.
April 10, 2019
Who makes a more spectacular showing in this book, beloved author Charlotte Zolotow or artist extraordinaire Margaret Bloy Graham? It's tough to say, both show up so well in these pages. Charlotte Zolotow's writing is wondrously energetic, finding every little pocket of glorious description to release in telling of a summer storm's awesome power, filling the sky with hardly a sign of warning and unleashing its pent-up deluge on the earth. Margaret Bloy Graham's beautiful, evocative illustrations are the ideal companion for Ms. Zolotow's skillfully crafted words, throwing every ounce of artistic verve at her disposal behind the narrative, rendering the scenes as well or better than what the reader's mind could have conjured. The Storm Book is among the coziest ways I can imagine to weather a seasonal storm indoors as the rains pour down and thunder booms outside, its bass timbre railing against the quiet comfort of our habitat but unable to do more than interrupt it for a few seconds now and then. It could make one crave a good long storm during the soggiest of summers.
The heavy, humid air stirs little in the path of the coming storm, as a young boy sits in the field beyond his house watching the day go by. But the dark clouds roll in quickly and the sky goes black, and shortly after the boy's mother ushers him into the house, the clouds open their reserves of quicksilver to soak the land. Mother and son cozily observe the thunderstorm from the confines of their home, but they aren't the only ones affected by the downpour. In the city, folks scurry for refuge as darkness envelopes the tops of skyscrapers, heavy rainfall pelting everyone who can't find shelter. A fisherman soaked to the bone by salty ocean spritz and the start of the storm continues his work without interruption, unfazed. A young woman indoors with a baby cradled in her arms awaits the return of her husband from his duties as a shepherd, where first he must take care of his sheep before heading for the sanctuary of home against the torrent of water from above.
At last the driving rain slows its intensity and finally stops, leaving glistening beads of moisture on flower, tree, fur, and eyelash. A vibrant rainbow arcs across the sky, the familiar promise of old that every tempest will meet its end no matter how fiercely the wind howls and the floodwaters rise, and happy days will return. Besides capturing the unique sensation of being in a rainstorm, this, I believe, is the main point of The Storm Book: that every cloudburst has its appointed duration, but eventually this, too, shall pass, and goodness will reign again. You'll see.
I adore this book. Not only is it essentially impossible to choose author or illustrator as the main star, but I have no desire to do so. This is a strong example of a Caldecott Honor book, a meaningful story sensitively woven, brought to thrilling life by the artwork of a wonderful painter like Margaret Bloy Graham. I'm giving The Storm Book two and a half stars for sure, and I recommend it for anyone who desires a picture book to please the senses and provide comforting words in equal measure. This is a story to pull out and enjoy again on many, many rainy days, and I intend to follow through on that. Happy reading, everyone.
The heavy, humid air stirs little in the path of the coming storm, as a young boy sits in the field beyond his house watching the day go by. But the dark clouds roll in quickly and the sky goes black, and shortly after the boy's mother ushers him into the house, the clouds open their reserves of quicksilver to soak the land. Mother and son cozily observe the thunderstorm from the confines of their home, but they aren't the only ones affected by the downpour. In the city, folks scurry for refuge as darkness envelopes the tops of skyscrapers, heavy rainfall pelting everyone who can't find shelter. A fisherman soaked to the bone by salty ocean spritz and the start of the storm continues his work without interruption, unfazed. A young woman indoors with a baby cradled in her arms awaits the return of her husband from his duties as a shepherd, where first he must take care of his sheep before heading for the sanctuary of home against the torrent of water from above.
At last the driving rain slows its intensity and finally stops, leaving glistening beads of moisture on flower, tree, fur, and eyelash. A vibrant rainbow arcs across the sky, the familiar promise of old that every tempest will meet its end no matter how fiercely the wind howls and the floodwaters rise, and happy days will return. Besides capturing the unique sensation of being in a rainstorm, this, I believe, is the main point of The Storm Book: that every cloudburst has its appointed duration, but eventually this, too, shall pass, and goodness will reign again. You'll see.
I adore this book. Not only is it essentially impossible to choose author or illustrator as the main star, but I have no desire to do so. This is a strong example of a Caldecott Honor book, a meaningful story sensitively woven, brought to thrilling life by the artwork of a wonderful painter like Margaret Bloy Graham. I'm giving The Storm Book two and a half stars for sure, and I recommend it for anyone who desires a picture book to please the senses and provide comforting words in equal measure. This is a story to pull out and enjoy again on many, many rainy days, and I intend to follow through on that. Happy reading, everyone.
March 29, 2013
An inquisitive little boy experiences a fierce storm in this evocatively descriptive picture book. The pages alternate between text and 2-page spreads of full color illustrations. As the story opens, Zolotow's eloquent narrative depicts the intense heat and stillness of a summer day just prior to a storm, with heat "quivering up like a mist from the earth," limp, dusty flowers, and animals seeking relief from the rising temperatures. "Even the birds seem too hot to sing," which gives an unusual silence to the rural landscape. Graham's accompanying illustration perfectly compliments Zolotow's almost poetic narrative. A giant yellow sun dominates the page, shining down on a quiet countryside with rolling hills, plowed fields, and pale green meadows. In the very bottom of the page a little boy lies in the wild grasses with his head propped up in his hands, chewing a blade and looking out over the scene. As the storm rises, both author and illustrator build anticipation and a feeling of movement. With each page the rhythm of the storm escalates, then comes to a quiet conclusion with nature's colorful display of the storm's end--a rainbow. This Caldecott Honor book from 1952 would be a perfect addition to primary grade units on weather, and would pair nicely with Karen Hesse's classic story of rain in the city, Come on Rain!.
February 15, 2009
What a surprise and treasure. I picked up this book at a library discarded book sale. It had "storm" in the title and we are looking for supplemental books for our 6th grade IDU on weather. The surprise...it is a Caldecott Honor book, so I can read for this class as well as to my class. This in one that has so much in it beyond what you might at first notice. The narrative text kept sixth graders' attention when I was reading aloud. The diagrams of tornados, hail forming, and fronts moving were clear to the kids when I showed them, and the accompanying text made sense. Several kids used the ideas from the read aloud in their own weather narratives where they had to explain what caused the weather event in their story.
It is dated, so I have to check with the science teachers to see what I need to point out as history, probably in the technology of weather prediction section.
Since the story is about the storm that kept the Yankees from their first game of the year in April,____ (the book is at school) it kept some kids paying attention who did not want to know about air masses, cold fronts, storms, and plains farmers as they dealt with the storm. Baseball IS the American game after all....
It is dated, so I have to check with the science teachers to see what I need to point out as history, probably in the technology of weather prediction section.
Since the story is about the storm that kept the Yankees from their first game of the year in April,____ (the book is at school) it kept some kids paying attention who did not want to know about air masses, cold fronts, storms, and plains farmers as they dealt with the storm. Baseball IS the American game after all....
October 5, 2017
A young boy learns about thunder, lightning and rainbows in this book about a sudden summer storm. The story also includes the perspectives of a city dweller, a fisherman, and a young couple with a baby. The most interesting thing about this book is that the text and illustrations never appear on the same page. Each spread alternates between two complete pages of words and two pages showing a wide view of the storm-ridden landscape. The nice thing about this approach is that the reader can imagine some things for herself/himself before seeing the artist’s interpretation. The only drawback is that, at times, the very broad pictures lose the little details of Zolotow’s text that young readers will undoubtedly want to find. (I was pleased to find the sandpiper on the page with the fisherman, though!)
September 4, 2017
In this book a boy discovers what a rainbow is after a storm. The author writes what a storm looks like from the city, seashore, and the country.
I gave this book 5 stars for it's description of a storm from the different perspectives! I think this is great for students who have never been to the beach or to a big city to see what it is like out in the country, or vise versa. This book is also a Caldecott Honor book for it's illustrations.
I would use this book to teach about where rainbows come from and how it happens after a storm. I would love to use it to teach about the water cycle somehow if there was time!
I gave this book 5 stars for it's description of a storm from the different perspectives! I think this is great for students who have never been to the beach or to a big city to see what it is like out in the country, or vise versa. This book is also a Caldecott Honor book for it's illustrations.
I would use this book to teach about where rainbows come from and how it happens after a storm. I would love to use it to teach about the water cycle somehow if there was time!
October 26, 2014
This story has beautiful language..."In the mountains the rain comes down like a waterfall. Each crash of thunder sounds as though the rocks of the mountains were splitting apart, but each flash of lightning shows them solid and quiet against the sky." The story just describes a storm, and it is not a fast paced story...but the language was very descriptive. My children loved the sound effects of the storm throughout the book. The illustrations were detailed and matched the descriptive language in the text.
July 24, 2016
Would have been more enjoyable for the young ones if the pictures were on the same pages as the reading. Throughout the entire book, they have to wait for two pages of reading before turning for the accompanying picture.
June 29, 2015
Words and pictures come together perfectly, capturing the violence of the storm, as well as the aftermath. This book is truly one of my favorites on this reading challenge. I'm wondering what it was up against that it didn't win the Caldecott that year...
April 1, 2010
Lyrical text mixed with beautiful illustrations. Just a nice story.
November 12, 2014
Really beautiful prose and lovely illustrations.
June 3, 2015
lovely poetic text but not a kid favorite. Definitely still a worthy read aloud!
September 10, 2017
Excellent read aloud choice for that night you simply cannot read Goodnight Moon again.
August 18, 2019
A well written children's book describing a hot summer day, a storm blowing in, lightning, rain, a rainbow. Both text and illustrations are great. Unfortunately the format is a poor one for the intended audience since the entire book consists of two full pages of text only, alternating with a full two page illustration. Not a very intuitive layout for a book intended to be read aloud to a child, frustrating for both child and adult.
November 6, 2016
Type of Book: picture book
Literary genre: realistic fiction
Awards: Caldecott Honor (1953)
Summary: The book starts out on a hot, summer day with the sun shining and a beautiful blue sky and a boy watching and waiting. As the boy sits and waits, the sky begins to darken and the world gets quiet. Suddenly there is a flash of lightening and the storm is brewing. The storm is in the country with the boy and it is in the city with many people and even out to sea. The wind blows and the rain comes and then just as suddenly as it started it stops and out comes the rainbow.
Critique: The story tells of a day when a sudden storm blew in and just as suddenly leaves. The best parts of the book are the pictures. The words are really unnecessary to understand the impact of the storm. This book would be an excellent way to help small children who are afraid of thunder storms.
Prompts/Questions: How does the little boy know that something is about to happen on this hot, summer day?
What is the reward at the end of the storm?
Craft elements: Write a paragraph of a time when you watched a storm. What did you do during and after the storm?
Literary genre: realistic fiction
Awards: Caldecott Honor (1953)
Summary: The book starts out on a hot, summer day with the sun shining and a beautiful blue sky and a boy watching and waiting. As the boy sits and waits, the sky begins to darken and the world gets quiet. Suddenly there is a flash of lightening and the storm is brewing. The storm is in the country with the boy and it is in the city with many people and even out to sea. The wind blows and the rain comes and then just as suddenly as it started it stops and out comes the rainbow.
Critique: The story tells of a day when a sudden storm blew in and just as suddenly leaves. The best parts of the book are the pictures. The words are really unnecessary to understand the impact of the storm. This book would be an excellent way to help small children who are afraid of thunder storms.
Prompts/Questions: How does the little boy know that something is about to happen on this hot, summer day?
What is the reward at the end of the storm?
Craft elements: Write a paragraph of a time when you watched a storm. What did you do during and after the storm?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2017
Caldecott Honor Book
by Charlotte Zolotow
Picture book
Ages 3-7
Although the pictures throughout the book are attractive, I FEEL that this is a book that was made in 1989. It just feels a bit 'dated,' to state the obvious. ("Queen Anne's lace...rambler roses...") I was also surprised that, being a book that was recommended for kids as young as 3, there was actually so much writing! Paragraphs and paragraphs. Still, a sweet enough book partly about a child commenting to his mother about the storm coming in and the different sounds that people experience.
Kindergarten might use this book to teach about different kinds of weather, specifically storms. They could learn about the lightning and rain in thunderstorms. They could practice writing words that had to do with storms and they could even draw or paint what a storm looks like to them.
by Charlotte Zolotow
Picture book
Ages 3-7
Although the pictures throughout the book are attractive, I FEEL that this is a book that was made in 1989. It just feels a bit 'dated,' to state the obvious. ("Queen Anne's lace...rambler roses...") I was also surprised that, being a book that was recommended for kids as young as 3, there was actually so much writing! Paragraphs and paragraphs. Still, a sweet enough book partly about a child commenting to his mother about the storm coming in and the different sounds that people experience.
Kindergarten might use this book to teach about different kinds of weather, specifically storms. They could learn about the lightning and rain in thunderstorms. They could practice writing words that had to do with storms and they could even draw or paint what a storm looks like to them.
April 30, 2014
In the fiction, picture book The Storm Book Zolotow gives us a day in the country when everything is hot and still and suddenly a storm hits. Using onomatopoeia and other figurative language, she shows us that every storm runs out of rain and good things can happen from crazy weather. A small boy is looking the landscape over on a hot summer's day when the first indications of a storm appear. He runs home and in his mother's understanding company experiences his first thunder storm. There are flash impressions of what the storm is doing in the city- on the waters- but the author- and the artist-bring the reader back to the country as the storm breaks and a rainbow appears. Traditional explanations will irk the science-minded modern, who will feel the book is too prettily sentimental.
December 1, 2017
The Storm Book by Charlotte Zolotow:
The author brings together the character and impact of nature, and the curiosity of a child watching the effects of a storm unfold and display itself upon human living spaces. The story is laid out in a progressive format, similar to that of a good song, that appears to follow storm through its stages from start to finish, that finally ends with the display of the colors of the rainbow!
At the end, the story contrast the dry and hot start of the scenes at the beginning of the story, with the excitement and renewed life the comes after the storm. I like the double-page illustrations in the book, that provide opportunity for fuller display of connecting visuals in the story. David Anthony Burgess.
The author brings together the character and impact of nature, and the curiosity of a child watching the effects of a storm unfold and display itself upon human living spaces. The story is laid out in a progressive format, similar to that of a good song, that appears to follow storm through its stages from start to finish, that finally ends with the display of the colors of the rainbow!
At the end, the story contrast the dry and hot start of the scenes at the beginning of the story, with the excitement and renewed life the comes after the storm. I like the double-page illustrations in the book, that provide opportunity for fuller display of connecting visuals in the story. David Anthony Burgess.
January 23, 2017
Summary:This is a great descriptive children's book of the effect of a thunderstorm on different areas (farm, city, etc.)
Grade: PreK-3
Use in the classroom: This would be a great book to have students connect to prior knowledge and activate their schema. Have students think about what they know about storms as they read the book. Explain that good readers make connections between what they already know and new information they read. Remind students that thinking about what they already know about the topic of the book will help them understand what they read.
Grade: PreK-3
Use in the classroom: This would be a great book to have students connect to prior knowledge and activate their schema. Have students think about what they know about storms as they read the book. Explain that good readers make connections between what they already know and new information they read. Remind students that thinking about what they already know about the topic of the book will help them understand what they read.
May 26, 2012
A chronicle of a storm and all its components, and what it looks like over land and water. This almost reads like 2 different books. The text apears in 2 page spreads and is followed by a 2 page spread of illustrations. It challenges the reader to imagine the scene before the illustrator's vision is given to them on the folowing 2 pages. The wordless pictures could stand alone and tell a wordless tale of the evolution of a rainstorm. Text is decriptive and poetic. Must read/see.
December 23, 2017
• 1953 Caldecott Honor Book •
This is a pretty quiet book that might appeal to some, but I just found the text really dry. It did help me feel asleep though! Ha I liked the illustrations but wish the text and illustrations were together - they’re on separate pages in the book, which I think is part of why I didn’t like it.
Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted
This is a pretty quiet book that might appeal to some, but I just found the text really dry. It did help me feel asleep though! Ha I liked the illustrations but wish the text and illustrations were together - they’re on separate pages in the book, which I think is part of why I didn’t like it.
Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted
January 25, 2018
The art is very pretty, but personally, I didn't like the book. First, I didn't like the way it was set up. Text on both pages, no pictures, and then two pages of a whole illustration with no text, and so on. Second, I didn't really find the story that interesting. I can see why it won a medal, the writing is good, but the story to me was a bit boring. Maybe I found it boring because I read this when I was super tired, but nonetheless, I didn't enjoy this book as I thought I would.
November 16, 2011
I found the format of this book to be distracting, and I couldn't picture myself reading this to a child. The imagery described by the text is vivid, and the illustrations make excellent use of watercolor to depict tormented skies, but you can never look at the pictures and read the text at the same time.
In order to read this picture book to a child, one would need two copies of the book...
In order to read this picture book to a child, one would need two copies of the book...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews