Freddy the Frogcaster

I'm always looking for age appropriate weather books and decided to check out Freddy the Frogcasteras the first book in a weather series.

In this book we meet Freddy a young frog who is very interested in weather forecasting. He watches and learns about weather forecasting from his local weather forecaster and builds his own weather station at home to practice forecasting the weather. He gains confidence by comparing his own forecasts to those of a very accurate local weather forecaster. When she leaves on maternity leave Freddy is excited to meet the new forecaster. However, the new forecaster is not as dedicated to the work and her information lacks the quality of her predecessor.

This becomes an issue for Freddy and his friends when an outdoor event is planned and no warning is given about an upcoming storm. Freddy and the former forecaster run their own data and set out to warn the town so they can plan a safe outing for the citizens.

This was an introduction to weather forecasting targeting young children. I would be interested in reading some of the other books in the series to see if they go any deeper than this one or if they stay on the surface. As I've demonstrated with Dr. Suess' science series and Bel the Weather Girl one can embed quite a bit of content in the context of a children's picture book. There is a healthy balance. I thought this book was a little light on content. The book will entertain and encourage children to explore more about weather.

Oh Say Can You See What's The Weather Today

I ran across Oh Say Can You Say What's the Weather Today?: All About Weatherat a used book sale and immediately began to research the series and track it down for family.

The series uses the Cat in the Hat and his friends to explore various science topics. It does follow the rhyming format of the Dr. Suess picture books, but these are very science based.

In this book the the Cat in the Hat sets out to teach children a wide range of facts about the weather. The book begins with some very basic introductions to weather, but quickly delves into weather maps, natural signs of weather changes, types of clouds, the water cycle (with a very age appropriate diagram and explanation), evaporation, condensation, rain, snow, climates, humidity, thunder, lightening, storms, and safety.

Some topics are clearly more suited to this format than others. Others seem to have appeared to have been more important to the author than others and thus received more attention and focus leaving others to be casually addressed.

I think this is a great series to bridge children's interest in the rhyming of Dr. Suess' picture books to an interest in non-fiction topics. I also think it would work in primary classrooms or at home as support material for students. The information is easily accessible and provides material for readers who might find the familiarity of the Suess format easier to grasp than more traditional non-fiction reading.

There is often a challenge in finding quality non-fiction material that is accurate and also at a level students can read independently or with minimal support. I think this series fills that gap for parents and teachers and encourages students to explore science reading at an early age.

Raindrops on a Roller Coaster Hail

I was unfamiliar with the Bel the Weather Girl series so I decided to borrow Raindrops on a Roller Coaster: Hail (Bel the Weather Girl) from the library.

I like children's science picture books that tackle topics accurately, but make the topic accessible. That is a tough balance. There are a few series that have found the right balance, but others are either too technical or too simplified to be useful. While this is only the first book I've read in the series I thought it struck a good balance in providing accurate information about hail, how it's formed, the dangers of hail, and how it comes down to earth using accurate science, but making it approachable for young readers.

The story begins with Bel and her cousin Dylan outside playing when storm clouds darken the sky. As the daughter of a meteorologist, Bel is not afraid, but aware of the cautions she should take and escorts her cousin and the family dog into the house. The story continues with Bel educating her cousin about hail, introducing children to vocabulary and concepts associated with hail.

Along with finding a book that teaches about science, I also liked that it addressed the child Dylan's fears about hail. Weather events can be frightening to children and adults, but adults have more access to information to educate themselves about dangerous weather and how to cope with the challenges of it. When I had family with young kids living in tornado alley, I struggled to find books that would educate but also comfort the kids with information about what was happening, but also how to stay safe. I will be looking for other books in the series to see if the books are consistent across the series.