Down Comes the Rain (Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science: Stage 2

Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2

by Franklyn Mansfield Branley, James Hale (Illustrator)

Just where does the rain come from anyway? Learn the answers to this question with these fun-loving characters, who reveal the water cycle in action from invisible water droplets in clouds to softball-sizes hailstones. Full color.

Genres: Science, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens, 1st Grade, Nature, School

28 pages, Library Binding

Published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uses the vocabulary word evaporation and discusses condensation. Does not use the word precipitation for rain (or snow, etc.) which is a missed opportunity I think. Good basic, simple description of the water cycle.

[Jane Maple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts with the idea of water vapor being something that is in the air but that you can't see, or smell or feel it. It then explains evaporation by suggesting putting a teaspoon of water in a saucer in the morning and that it will have evaporated by later in the day or a boiling tea kettle. It explains that sometimes you can see that water vapor when it is cold and you see your breath. Another way you can see water vapor is on a cold glass, the water is condensing on the glass and that if the glass stays dry there is not much water vapor in the air. The book then explains that it is much colder above the earth and that the water vapor changes to very tiny water droplets and the water droplets make clouds. The book then goes through rain and hail (although interestingly doesn't touch on snow for some reason.) Hail is when the rain keeps being pushed up by air currents from earth to freeze in the colder higher air, this may happen multiple times before it falls to the ground as hail. The book mentions that if you break a hailstone in two you can see the layers of ice from the different times the hail got pushed up in the sky.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed look at evaporation, condensation, and precipitation for kids.

This does an excellent job of explaining the concepts of water vapor, evaporation, condensation, and precipitation (though I don't think it ever used that final term, just talked about raining or hailing...no snow). I liked how it introduced the concepts, restated it several ways, and reinforced it with everyday examples kids can relate to. Having lived in the tropics for over 10 years now, I did have an issue with the page that said you can't see, smell, or feel water vapor in the air. You most certainly can feel it in the tropics, and our students will find reasons to challenge that page. However, on the whole this is a really good resource when talking about why it rains with littles. Recommended for curious kids and lower grade weather units/water cycle units.

[Jenna Neumeister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Down Comes The Rain is a nonfiction book that is intended for children ages five to nine. This book is about the water cycle. It goes over condensation, evaporation, and precipitation. I gave this book four stars because it is very informational. As a child you know that it rains but you don’t know where it comes from. This book covers the different types of clouds, what clouds are made of, and each step of the water cycle and how it works. This book teaches the process as a whole and goes in depth using new vocabulary that can be comprehend by young children. Each illustration has speech bubbles or diagrams to show what is happening as well. The diagrams use arrows so that you can see where it is and where it goes. For example it shows water vapor going up into the air from lakes, rivers, oceans, leaves of plants, and the wet ground by having an arrow from the pictures of these things to the sky. I think that this book would be appealing to young readers because this is new information to them. I would use this book when working with children after teaching them about the water cycle and how it works. By reading the book to them after presenting them with the information should help them better understand how the water cycle works.

[Heather Lei · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is in the Let's Read and Find Out Science series of books. So far I've been impressed with this series.

This book uses simple words and a lot of repetition to explain much of the water cycle to children (and some adults.) It covers evaporation, condensation, water drops, droplets, cloud formation, rain, snow, hail and probably more that I'm not remembering. It's a good, short science book.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. This is an excellent book to teach the water cycle.
2. Grades 1-2
3. Science
4. Students who like learning about science will enjoy this.
5/6. I could use this book during a unit about the water cycle. This brilliantly illustrates and explains different states of water and the water cycle.
7. Clouds; The Cloud Book; Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll
8. None

[Amanda Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book to use for teaching children about the water cycle! Although the author missed the opportunity to discuss precipitation, condensation and evaporation are discussed. The illustrations follow closely with the detailed perspective the author provides of the water cycle. The book is a little advanced, but I think it would be great for 1st or second grade and up.

[Ian McHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flo is my blessed with the weather and rain and rainbows. This book gives a very good scientific explanation of the water cycle which, alongside the lovely illustrations, is accessible to young scientists interested in the world around them. Flo particularly likes the girl in the purple raincoat and green umbrella who is splashing in the puddles during the downpour.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave clear explanations of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. I gave it 5 stars because I felt that it was so well explained with example after example which would be very helpful for young students studying about weather and even the different forms of water.

[Melissa Namba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty simple sentence structure, but great science. For kids who have a lot of questions about nature in general, this is a fact filled book that covers rain, condensation, snow, hail, etc. A great introduction to the life cycle of water.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An upper level picture book about the science behind rain. Very clever and somewhat easy to follow for a one on one read or a beginning reader.

[Sam Dawson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Educational book about rain and water vapor. The illustrations are appropriate for children and looking very similar to other children's book for being an educational book.

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! But a little too difficult for my ST kiddos.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

An explanation of why it rains, how it rains, and what causes it to rain, all from a scientific view point.

[El]

+

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

These read and find out science books are excellent for kids. Each book provides a broad sweep of knowledge about a particular topic.

[Yumixx · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good book for teaching science. I don’t like it because I raise up in different culture. I like story book more.

[LadyHague · Rating 4 out of 5]

LRFO books are simple and easy to understand difficult topics. We enjoyed the talk of rain, clouds, hailstones and condensation.

[Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book explaining the water/rain cycle, but okay.

[Kristiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid, informational book. Kept my 6yo’s attention, but was a bit over her head. Probably best for 8-10yo.
It made me want to check out the other books in this series.

[R. L. Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Homeschool friendly! A great book for studies on weather!

[Leigh Chickering · Rating 4 out of 5]

Down Comes the Rain talks about the science of how water and rain works. It talks about evaporation and condensation and lastly precipitation all while saying it in a way that would make it easy for elementary schoolers to understand how water works.

I thought this book was very educational while explaining the water cycle in a way that young students would understand. I really liked the illustrations because they were very helpful in explaining what the author was trying to say.

I would use this book to help with a water cycle unit. I also think this would be a good book to keep in the classroom anyways because it is very educational while being intriguing and eye catchy.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Down Comes The Rain provides a detailed perspective on the water cycle - rain falls from the sky, then the leftover water evaporates to become water vapor. Afterwards, this moisture condenses to form clouds, and the cycle repeats itself. Branley is sure to cover all of those mysterious, scientific concepts that you may not have recognized before, such as the steam rising from your teapot, or the difference between clouds that are thin, white, & wispy, versus dark, thick & heavy…



This book is the perfect candidate for intertwining a science and language arts lesson. Not only is it informative, but it is engaging because the content is presented in a relevant and exciting way. This book encourages readers to think about their personal experiences with the varying stages of the water cycle to fully understand what is going on. For example, it explains why you see your breath when it’s cold outside.

This is perfect for grades K-4th: I would recommend it as a read aloud for the younger audiences, but it works as an independent reading book as the students’ literacy skills progress. The text helps students develop their classification and prediction processes, as they are learning new definitions and able to assume which stage will come next after one cycle is complete. This new information will translate into other subjects and into their writing abilities. I believe it is important to note the nearly poetic way in which the author writes to show that it is possible to captivate your audience. Teachers might also zoom in on one of the scientific elements mentioned in order to expand on detailed descriptions… For example, when the author writes about condensation, teachers could use this opportunity to talk about what those clear, dewy drops forming on your water bottle truly resemble and look like…

Talk about taking a ‘boring’ concept and making it interesting, which I think is a rare and treasured quality for a book to have. This is exactly how authors should write, especially when covering an academic concept. I actually put down this book feeling like a professional in this area now!! In addition, the illustrations are vibrant, detailed, and realistic.
Although this book is classified as a science text, I believe it can be used as a form of literary expression too, as it brings your attention to certain things around you that you might not notice on a daily basis. The world around us is truly amazing, and we must acknowledge its beauty.

[Jane LoBosco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was definitely one of my favor books I have read all semester. It is incredibly informative, without being the slightest bit boring. There are wonderful illustrations that really accentuate all of the information that readers are obtaining. The words are sophisticated, yet they are written in a way that should easily make sense to all readers. It goes through all of the ways that rain is produced and comes down, which is something that young children really have no idea about. I think what made this book was the illustrations. It took a topic that is not all that exciting and made it seem as though it was the coolest thing, which children will really appreciate it.

I think that this book is best suited as a read aloud for children first grade and up. I think that this is best as a read aloud because the graphics can be a bit confusing for students. This book has a few nonfiction conventions including blurbs going into more detail on a particular item. I think that this is incredibly beneficial because students often need more detail on a particular thing to fully understand a concept. I think that this book would be a great addition to any classroom and students would definitely benefit from this incredibly helpful book.

I think that this book could transcend into some great lessons. Students now know how rain is created, but what else do they not know? Students could pick something that they are unsure of, such as why is the grass green or why do we have clouds? and really create a wonderful presentation. Older students would do a wonderful job of following the layout of this book and explaining how something works. This would be a great way to involve creativity into a science lesson, which is so important for some learners. I think that this book really has endless possibilities for use in the classroom, and would benefit so many students.

[Amanda Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Title: Down Comes the Rain
by Franklyn M. Branley

Short Description of the Book: Branley explains the water cycle and all of the different forms that rain can take. He describes evaporation and condensation in detail, and makes real life connections between a young reader’s personal observations of water and the water cycle itself.

Focus: Informational Features I Would Use in a Mini-Lesson

1.) Informational Text Structure: In many informational books authors provide descriptions of different categories or types of phenomena, animals, or whatever their topic may be. In “Down Comes the Rain”, Branley details different types of rain and precipitation, different causes of water vapor, and the many sources of evaporation that begin the water cycle. Students can use this in their informational writing by detailing different types of their topic (e.g. different types of lizards, etc.)

2.) Informational Text Features: In this book, Branley provides a substantial amount of information in the form of speech bubbles. Students need to be exposed to the idea that text can take shape in many different forms in informational texts. Authors can relay information in captions, labels, information boxes, etc. In this book, speech bubbles were the main text feature used to relay information. In a mini-lesson, I would use this to encourage students to use a variety of features within their writing to relay information, not just relying on basic text on a page.

Teach: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions).

[Christine Turner]

ATA Storytime Kit -- Science, weather, other?
Read and find out about the ups and downpours of the water cycle! With colorful illustrations and engaging text, Down Comes the Rain is a fascinating look into the stages of the water cycle. After rain comes down, the sun comes out and dries the puddles. But the water isn't gone. The heat from the sun has turned it into water vapor--it has evaporated. Eventually, this moisture in the air condenses to form new clouds. Soon the rain will fall again.

Featuring rich vocabulary bolded throughout the text, this brand-new edition of Franklyn M. Branley's 1997 title includes original illustrations by Mary Ann Fraser. This book also includes a glossary and a find out more section with an activity about the water cycle. Both the text and the artwork were newly vetted for accuracy by Don W. Hen and Dr. Sonia M Kreidenweis, Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.

This is a Level 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science title, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades and supports the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.


HCPL Juv Nonfiction 551.57 Bra

Subject: Rain and rainfall -- Juvenile literature.
Clouds -- Juvenile literature.

[Janice Redding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it talks about the different uses of water, and introduces concepts that include water. One main concept that this book discusses is about water vapor. Water vapor is a gas and is made when water evaporates. That means that water changes from liquid to a gas, and the water vapor may go into the air. So, this book can be used to talk about the states of matter with third grade students. Some activities that I would implement with my class is that I would make water vapor change to water by putting a lot of ice into a glass of water, and as the glass gets colder, the outside of the glass would get wet. The students will be able to witness it at hand. Then, I would take my students outside to look for water vapor. Even though they probable would not be able to see it, they will know that is there by the facts in the book. While the students are outside, the students can look at the clods, because water vapor changes to droplets, and the droplets change to drops. This book helps develop students thinking about water vapor. It is a content and storybook because its pictures and how the information is relayed.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 5 out of 5]

Water on Earth evaporates and rises into the air around us. When water vapor rises way up into the sky, it gets cold enough to change back to liquid water. It condenses and forms clouds. Sometimes these clouds get so full of water droplets that they turn dark, and rain falls from the sky. Other times, the water droplets freeze. Ice crystals can be carried up and down inside a cloud. Each time they go up more water droplets cling to them and freeze. Soon, the ice falls from the sky as hail. All this precipitation adds water to Earth which will eventually evaporate to form more clouds. Branley's book provides a good introduction to the water cycle. Branley's book provides a good introduction to the water cycle. Second graders and other readers will learn about evaporation, condensation, and precipitation through delightful illustrations and fun, easy-to-do activities.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Chelsea Bucci · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good resource to use to discuss with students where rain comes from. The story begins by stating that rain comes from all sorts of clouds (big, little, black, gray, and even white). All clouds are made up of billions of droplets of water. The droplets come from water vapor which is a gas. The story then discusses evaporation or when water changes from a liquid to a gas. It also shows how cold class of ice cold water can create condensation. Lastly, it discusses how water has the potential to freeze which turns into ice or a solid. This is a great book to introduce in First Grade to teach students about the three forms of matter and how they can interchange and evolve.

[Andrew Stockle · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Down Comes the Rain” is an awesome book which describes the water cycle! It teaches all about how rain, clouds, and hail are formed. The book is told by children who are teaching the reader all about the water cycle in a very simple and easy to understand way. This book would be appropriate for grade 4-5 or for anyone who wants to learn about the water cycle. The pictures are cartoon-like and help the reader to visualize the concepts being explained. A lot of the text is also written in speech bubbles. I would use this book to reinforce or introduce the concept of the water cycle.