Weather Watch Several Worthwhile Books Take A Look From Kids’ View

There is not much that affects and interests children more than the weather, especially wild weather. And the country had plenty of that this winter. Ice storms in Spokane, mudslides in Seattle, eyebrow-deep snow in North Dakota. Floods nearly everywhere in the Northwest.

Here are some worthwhile books that look at weather from a child’s view.

“Flood,” by Mary Calhoun

Based on the Mississippi River floods of 1993, this is a realistic look at one family’s experience with flooding. Sarajean loves her river, and can’t believe that it would cause any harm to the home she shares with her parents, grandmother and dog, Josie. Mom and Dad don’t seem worried, but take precautions just in case. They stack sandbags, and move as many possessions as possible upstairs. The people in their community are warned to leave, but Sarajean’s grandmother refuses. Finally when the levee breaks, the family is forced to leave. It’s left unclear whether their house survives, but Sarajean and her grandmother decide that they still have everything that’s truly important. Erick Ingraham has created illustrations that are both realistic, and evocative of gray skies and wet landscapes.

(Morrow, ages 4 and up, 40 pgs., $16.) For another fine (and folksy) picture book on flooding, look for “Come a Tide,” by George Ella Lyon (Orchard Books, 32 pgs., $15.95).

“Storm on the Desert,” by Carolyn Lesser

The desert is a most dramatic place to experience a thunderstorm. Days and weeks of parched ground, shimmery columns of heat and blinding sun suddenly give way to black clouds, flashes of lightning and sheets of rain. Land and sky vanish into rain, pelting, piercing, slashing, screaming, streaming rain. Flash floods race through canyons and arroyos. Then, as suddenly as it began, the storm is over. The desert explodes with life, as thirsty animals rush to drink from puddles. Soon the cactus will be all abloom. The sun beats down; the cycle begins again. Lesser has written a fine science book for youngsters. It’s beautifully illustrated by Seattle-area artist Ted Rand. Rand, as he does with all his books, has scrupulously researched desert wildlife. (Harcourt Brace, ages 4 and up, 40 pgs., $15.)

“What Color Was the Sky Today?” by Miela Ford

Here, weather for very young children is presented in a form they can understand. Look at the sky. What do you see? That’s weather. More clouds come. Now they are gray. Will they hide the sun? Look, it’s gone. Everything is fuzzy gray. Short and simple, just like Ford’s other fine book for preschoolers, “Sunflower.” Cheerful pictures by Sally Noll complete the package. (Greenwillow, 32 pgs., ages 2-6, $15.)

“Water Dance,” by Thomas Locker

If this book is an excuse for Locker (“Where the River Ends”) to give us some gorgeous new paintings, it’s a great excuse. His artwork is reminiscent of the beautiful early American landscape paintings of the Hudson River School. No wonder Locker lives at the edge of the Hudson River. Lovely as the paintings are, the book is full of valuable scientific content about the water cycle as well. Water is something that’s easy to take for granted, Locker explains, but the presence of water is what makes Earth unique within the solar system. And it is the only substance that naturally occurs in three different forms: liquid, solid and vapor. Each painting illustrates an aspect of water, beginning with a mountain rain shower, flowing into a mountain stream, waterfall, lake, river, ocean, mist. Then clouds, which are carried back inland, becoming thunderheads butting up against the mountains, then storm, and finally rainbow. It’s a complex circle, explained with lovely simplicity. This is a book handsome enough for a coffee table, yet interesting enough to hold a 7-year-old’s attention. (Harcourt Brace, 32 pgs., ages 4 and up, $16)

“Earth Explained: A Beginner’s Guide to our Planet,” by Barbara Taylor Not only about weather, this book is a valuable reference to explain the workings of our planet. Liberally illustrated with photos and drawings and explanations arranged in short bursts, the reader can get right to the point. (I finally understand what geothermal energy is, after spending 20 seconds examining a drawing and caption.) Taylor, an experienced science writer, describes the earth’s structure, continents, earthquakes, landforms, atmosphere, climate zones, air masses and fronts, storms, habitats. She also speculates about the earth’s future. A fascinating book. It’s part of the “Your World Explained” series, which includes fine volumes on dinosaurs, space, and another new title: religion. (Henry Holt, 70 pgs., ages 6 and up, $18.95.)

“Lightning,” by Seymour Simon

When it comes to science books for children, you can’t go wrong with Simon, the often-honored author of more than 150 non-fiction books for children. This fascinating look at lightning is illustrated with spectacular color photographs. Simon describes what has been discovered about lightning, from Ben Franklin’s famous kite experiments, to three new types of lightning recently discovered. (Morrow, 32 pgs., ages 6 and up, $16.)

MEMO: Children’s book reviews by Tacoma writer Rebecca Young appear monthly on the Families page.