What is Precipitation? (Weather Close-Up). Robin Johnson. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2013. 24 pp., pbk. & hc., $8.95 (pbk.), $18.36 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-0761-5 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-0754-7 (RLB.). Subject Heading: Precipitation (Meteorology)-Juvenile literature. Grades 1-3 / Ages 6-8. Review by Kristen Ferguson. *** /4

excerpt:

When the air temperature is very cold, water droplets in the clouds freeze and form ice crystals. Ice crystals are frozen drops of water. Ice crystals fall from the clouds as snow.

One of four nonfiction books in the “Weather Close-Up” series by Crabtree Publishing, What is Precipitation?, by Robin Johnson, introduces primary students to weather and the different types of precipitation. Readers learn about why we need precipitation, the water cycle, and different types of precipitation (rain, snow, and hail). What is Precipitation? also introduces students to meteorology and the prediction of precipitation.

     To get readers actively involved in learning about science and the weather, included in What is Precipitation? are three different activities for young readers to try: a rain gauge, a weather journal, and a rainfall graph. At the end of the book, Johnson has also included a list of books and websites suitable for the primary grades for further reading about precipitation and the water cycle. On the last page, there is a glossary and index of key words used throughout the book. With full colour photographs, illustrations, and coloured fonts on every page, What is Precipitation? is eye-catching. Scattered throughout the book are “What Do You Think?” questions that encourage young readers to extend their thinking. For instance: What do you think? Snow is solid precipitation. How do you know that snow is a solid?

     Caregivers or teachers will appreciate how What is Precipitation? explains science concepts in age-appropriate ways. The three simple activities related to precipitation for readers to try on their own are highlights of the book. They are clearly explained with simple directions and illustrated with examples. What is Precipitation? is a good choice for primary classrooms and also for parents and caregivers who have six to eight-year-olds interested in science.

Recommended.

Dr. Kristen Ferguson teaches literacy education at the Schulich School of Education at Nipissing University in North Bay, ON.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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