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There are many types of storms, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and blizzards. Caused by extremes in weather, storms can cause severe damage. But extremes are not limited to storms. Weather conditions such as too little or too much precipitation can result in drought or flood. Extremely high temperatures can cause a heat wave. Whatever the condition, extreme weather is something meteorologists work hard to predict so that lives and property can be protected.
Here is a list of books that focuses on storms and other conditions caused by extreme weather conditions.
Nonfiction Picture BooksThe Big Rivers: The Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Ohio (1997, OP), written and illustrated by Bruce Hiscock - In a text that combines history, geography and science, Hiscock describes the flooding of the upper Mississippi in 1993, while explaining what a river basin is, how it works as part of the water cycle, and how the system of dams and levees failed on this occasion.
The Big Storm (2008), written and illustrated by Bruce Hiscock - This book follows the course of one large weather system as it travels across the United States. Hiscock carefully chronicles a large springtime storm in 1982 as it moves from rain in the Pacific Northwest, to a blizzard in the Sierras, to tornadoes and hail in the Texas plains, and finally to New York City where it becomes a blizzard. As the storm rolls on, readers learn about weather forecasting, how storms are formed, and how they travel.
Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed America (2006), written by Jim Murphy - The great blizzard of 1888 changed the way we respond to storms. Using personal recollections as well as newspapers, photographs, and sketches made by news artists during the storm, Murphy takes readers into the unfolding blizzard and its aftermath. As a result of this storm, legislation was passed in New York to clean up the city, bury wires, build the subway, and more. Back matter includes a six page narrative discussion of notes on sources and related reading material.
Flood: Wrestling With the Mississippi (1996, OP), written by Patricia Lauber - This National Geographic photo-essay describes the flooding of the Mississippi in 1993 with a focus on more on the underlying causes of the flooding.
The Great American Dust Bowl (2013), written and illustrated by Don Brown - This graphic novel is a masterpiece of history and science, weaving together sourced facts in an accurate historical narrative. Brown uses words from primary source materials to explain how the heartland of America became a vast barren plain, citing drought, the Depression, the loss of bison, and more. Includes scientific explanations for the dust storms as well as first hand accounts. Back matter includes a selected bibliography and source notes.
National Geographic Readers: Storms (2009), written by Miriam Goin - This Level 1 reader introduces the basics of weather and then goes on to describe a variety of storms, including thunder and lightning, hailstorm, sandstorm, blizzard, monsoon, and others. Back matter includes a glossary.
Rising Waters: A Book About Floods (2005), written by Rick Thomas and illustrated by Denise Shea - This book in the Amazing Science series describes the causes and effects of flooding. Back matter includes a glossary and helpful print and web resources.
Sizzle!: A Book About Heat Waves (2005), written by Rick Thomas and illustrated by Denise Shea - This book in the Amazing Science series describes what a heat wave is and how it affects living things in rural and urban areas. Back matter includes a glossary and helpful print and web resources.
Storms (1992), written by Seymour Simon - In stunning pictures and clear and engaging text, Simon provides clear explanations of various storm types, how they form, and how destructive they can be.
Whiteout!: A Book About Blizzards (2005), written by Rick Thomas and illustrated by Denise Shea - What happens when snow is falling and wind is blowing? Readers will learn the answer to this question and more as they read about the conditions often found during a blizzard, include including whiteouts, strong winds, snowdrifts, and wind chills.
Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll (1999), written by Franklyn Branley and illustrated by True Kelley - This book in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series focuses on thunder and lightning. Back matter includes 2 simple experiments and additional resource suggestions for learning more.
Lightning! (2006), written by Seymour Simon - With stunning pictures and clear engaging text, Simon describes how and why lightning occurs, different types of lightning, how scientists study it, how to stay safe during an electrical storm, and more.
Lightning, Hurricanes, and Blizzards: The Science of Storms (2010), written by Paul Fleisher - At nearly 50 pages, this book is filled with information about storms. It opens by explaining that "Storms are the most dramatic weather events." Five chapters include: (1) air masses, weather fronts, and mid-altitude cyclones; (2) thunderstorms; (3) tornadoes; (4) hurricanes; and (5) other storms. Back matter includes a glossary, selected bibliography, further reading, and web sites.
Nature's Fireworks: A Book About Lightning (2003), written by Josepha Sherman and illustrated by Omarr Wesley - This book in the Amazing Science series describes the different ways lightning is created and what makes it flash across the sky. Back matter includes a glossary and helpful print and web resources.
Our Wonderful Weather: Thunderstorms (2014), written by Valerie Bodden - Using beautiful photos and clear, concise text, Bodden describes what thunderstorms are, the relationship of thunder and lightning, kinds of thunderstorms, and more. Back matter includes a glossary, titles for learning more, and helpful web sites.
Rumble, Boom!: A Book About Thunderstorms (2005), written by Rick Thomas and illustrated by Denise Shea - This book in the Amazing Science series describes how thunderstorms form. Also included is information on phenomena such as thunder, lightning, storm cells, downdrafts, super cells, and more. Back matter includes a glossary and helpful print and web resources.
Before moving on to books about tornadoes and hurricanes, let's take a quick break to watch this terrific little Peep and the Big Wide World video on stormy weather.
Do Tornadoes Really Twist? (2000), written by Melvin and Gilda Berger and illustrated by Higgins Bond -
In an engaging question and answer format, this book provides a good introduction to tornadoes and hurricanes. Illustrations, diagrams and maps accompany clearly written and engaging text. Our Wonderful Weather: Tornadoes (2014), written by Valerie Bodden - Using beautiful photos and clear, concise text, Bodden describes what tornadoes are, their shapes and sizes, how they are measured, and more. Back matter includes a glossary, titles for learning more, and helpful web sites.
Tornado Alert (1990), written by Franklyn Branley and illustrated by Giulio Maestro - This book in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series describes how, where, and when tornadoes happen and what to do during a tornado.
Tornadoes (2001), written by Seymour Simon - In stunning pictures and clear and engaging text, Simon provides a comprehensive look at tornadoes, including how they form, where they occur, and how they are studied.
Tornadoes! (2012), written by Marcie Aboff and illustrated by Aleksandar Sotirovski - This graphic novel uses text and illustrations to explain how tornadoes form, how they are measured, and how to stay safe during one.
Tornadoes! (2010), written and illustrated by Gail Gibbons - In this book, Gibbons uses text and images to help readers understand how tornadoes form, how they are classified, where they typically appear, safety procedures during a storm, and much more.
Twisters: A Book About Tornadoes (2005), written by Rick Thomas and illustrated by Denise Shea - This book in the Amazing Science series describes how tornadoes form and provides explanations updrafts, downdrafts, thunderstorms, rotation, and funnel clouds. Back matter includes a glossary and helpful print and web resources.
Eye of the Storm: A Book About Hurricanes (2005), written by Rick Thomas and illustrated by Denise Shea - This book in the Amazing Science series describes how hurricanes form, what tropical storms are, and how storm surges occur. Back matter includes a glossary and helpful print and web resources.
Hurricanes (2007), written by Seymour Simon - With incredible photographs clear and concise text, Simon provides readers with an in-depth look at one of nature's most terrifying storm types: the hurricane. Included is information on how hurricanes develop, how they are studied, and safety measures for those faced with such a storm.
Hurricanes! (2012), written by Marcie Aboff and illustrated by Aleksandar Sotirovski - This graphic novel uses text and illustrations to explain how hurricanes form, how they are named and measured, and how to stay safe during one.
Hurricanes! (2010), written and illustrated by Gail Gibbons - In this book, Gibbons presents information about hurricanes in a kid-friendly manner using a combination of engaging water-color illustrations and simple text. Included are facts about the different types of hurricanes, where they occur, how meteorologists predict them, and more.
Our Wonderful Weather: Hurricanes (2014), written by Valerie Bodden - Using beautiful photos and clear, concise text, Bodden describes what tornadoes are, how they are measured, they eye of the storm, and more. Back matter includes a glossary, titles for learning more, and helpful web sites.
The Whirlwind World of Hurricanes with Max Axiom, Super Scientist (2010), written by Katherine Krohn and illustrated by Cynthia Martin and Al Milgrom - This graphic novel follows scientist Max Axiom as he explores the science and history behind hurricanes.
Picture Books
Flood (2013), written and illustrated by Alvaro Villa - This wordless picture book tells the story of the natural destruction that flooding can cause. Readers follow a family as they prepare for a storm, head to higher ground, and return to see the devastation brought by flood waters. Despite their despair at seeing their damaged home, the family rebuilds.
Hurricane! (2008), written and illustrated by Celia Godkin - In a beautifully illustrated book, readers learn how coastal Florida has adapted to seasonal storms. With an eye to the flora and fauna, Godkin shows and tells readers how the opossum, fiddler crab, manatee, and many others (including humans), weather the storm.
The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane (1996), written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen - Miss Frizzle leave on a field to visit a weather station, but of course, a great deal happens before they actually get there. The bus turns into a hot air balloon and rises into the sky. Once Ms. Frizzle hears a hurricane watch is in effect, they head south to the equator where the students watch the birth of a hurricane. Included is a great deal of information on how hurricanes form, their effects, and other tidbits on a range of weather-related topics.
Thunderstorm (2013), written and illustrated by Arthur Geisert - The illustrations for this wordless picture book were created in one 415 inch long panorama that beautifully details the effects of a passing storm and shows how a farm family and various animals weather the storm. The passing storm inflicts real damage, but Geisert wraps things ups by showing the community getting down to the work of repair once the skies clear.
Online ResourcesFor additional resources, consider these sites.
- The National Center for Atmospheric Research has a kids site with a series of pages on dangerous weather.
- National Geographic has a nice page devoted to extreme weather on our planet. You'll also find a terrific set of introductory videos on several extreme weather events here.
- Surviving the Dust Bowl is a PBS film that tells the story of the farmers who came to the Southern Plains of Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas dreaming of prosperity, and lived through ten years of drought, dust, disease and death.
- Ready.Gov: Kids provides information to help families prepare for emergencies caused by extreme weather events such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods.
- Sky Diary KidStorm provides information about tornadoes, lightning, hurricanes, and storm chasing.
- The KidsAhead site has a page devoted to extreme weather such as hurricanes and tornadoes that includes activities, articles, and more.
- Owlie Skwarn's Weather Book: Storms Ahead! is a free pdf download created by NOAA, FEMA, and the American Red Cross.
- Try these book study pages for the Berger book on tornadoes.
That's it for now. This makes 4 separate lists all related to the water cycle and weather. Join me in two weeks for my next thematic list!
posted by Neil Gaiman
It's been a strange week, filled with odd things happening. Oddest of all, I've bought a house (
it is not as this quote might lead you believe, in Sacramento California: that quote was taken from a longer interview with me about my fondness for backing things on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/meet-a-backer-neil-gaiman).
The new house is something that's been in the works for a few months now: I saw somewhere in the Autumn, fell in love with it, convinced Amanda that I was in love, and we finally closed on it yesterday afternoon.
It's a lot like my old Addams Family house in the woods, only it's not an Addams Family house, more of little cluster of stone cottages in the woods. (The woman I bought it from had lived here fifty years exactly; the man whose family she and her husband had bought it from in January 1964 drew newspaper comics back in the Golden Age.)
The new house is a couple of hours from New York, and in order to close on it and take possession I unexpectedly (don't ask) found myself driving from Florida to New York State this weekend, via North Carolina (to see Maddy at college), vaguely worried that the snowstorms that have been circumscribing my movements for the last 2 months would have one final go at mucking up my travel plans. A storm was forecast, but it never happened.
I listened to the Best of Nick Lowe, David Bowie's
The Next Day, and Simon Vance's Audiobook of Mervyn Peake's
Titus Groan as I drove.
Driving meant that I missed a small storm which started on Twitter.
Back in January I got a request from the co-chair of the upcoming Worldcon in London (I don't know him, but he'd been given my email by a friend) asking me to forward an invitation to Jonathan Ross to host the Hugo Awards.
Jonathan is a UK TV and radio presenter, and, these days, a writer of comics. He's also one of the most highly regarded UK awards hosts. He's also become a friend of mine, has been for over 25 years. You can see us here together in the
Search for Steve Ditko documentary. (Here's the last few minutes of the documentary. Keep watching, and you'll see me with a smile big enough to break my face.) He was also the person who talked me onto Twitter in the first place.
I forwarded the invitation, along with a note telling him that hosting the Hugo awards is a really enjoyable thing to do, and got a note back from the chair saying that Jonathan had said yes, and could I put something up welcoming him when they announced it.
Jonathan said yes because he's a huge SF and Comics fan -- in many ways, one of the most fannish people I know: he also writes SF comics. There's also a family connection: his wife, Jane Goldman, won a Hugo award (for best Screenplay).
It was announced that he would be hosting the Hugos. There was a storm on Twitter. I missed it, but people sent me the link, and it's summarised here:
http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/03/01/when-jonathan-ross-was-presenting-the-hugo-awards-until-he-wasntI was really glad I was a) on a Twitter sabbatical and b) driving while all this was going on.
The weirdest bit was, I understood some of the worry; I'd had it myself, 25 years ago, when Jonathan and I had first met, and he asked me and Dave McKean to be on his chat show to talk about VIOLENT CASES. I said "No, you make fun of people. This is comics. It matters to me. I don't want you making fun of it."
To convince me that he a) didn't make fun of people on his show and b) that he would never ever under any circumstances mock the comics and comics creators he loved, Jonathan asked Dave McKean and me to come to the recording of the show: he was interviewing writer/artist Charles Burns that night. The interview was respectful and incredibly nice.
We never did that interview, although he's interviewed me a few times since over the years, in various different contexts. (When
The Wolves in the Walls came out, Jonathan interviewed me and Dave McKean in front of a crowd of adults and kids. His interview was perfectly appropriate for the audience...) He's embarrassed me gloriously presenting the Eisner Awards.
I wasn't surprised that some people were upset by the choice of Jonathan as a host: as the convention says in their apology for their handling of this, and their apology to Jonathan and his family, at
https://www.facebook.com/londonin2014/posts/804454159569536, they should have consulted better within their ranks, talked to their committees and so on, and made sure that that everyone was agreed that they wanted Jonathan as their host before they wrote to me and asked me to invite him.
If they'd known ahead of time that some people were going to have a problem with him as a choice of presenter (and I strongly suspect they did, given that one of their number had apparently resigned), they should have warned him and given him the option to withdraw, and at least prepared him. As it was, he and his family didn't know what hit them.
Twitterstorms are no fun when people are making up things about you or insulting you for things you didn't do or think or say. When scores of people from a group that you consider yourself a part of are shouting at you, it's incredibly upsetting, no matter who you are.
I was seriously disappointed in the people, some of whom I know and respect, who stirred other people up to send invective, obscenities and hatred Jonathan's way over Twitter (and the moment you put someone's @name into a tweet, you are sending it to that person), much of it the kind of stuff that they seemed to be worried that he might possibly say at the Hugos, unaware of the ironies involved.
I sympathise with anyone who felt that Jonathan wasn't going to make an appropriate Hugos host, and with anyone who spoke about it to the convention committee, but do not believe a campaign aimed at vilifying Jonathan personally was wise or kind. And for those who thought that making this happen was a way to avoid SF and the Hugos appearing in the tabloids, I'd point to the Streisand effect, with a shake of the head.
I have won Hugo Awards, and I am incredibly proud of all of them; I've hosted the Hugo Awards ceremony, and I was honoured to have been permitted to be part of that tradition; I know that SF is a family, and like all families, has disagreements, fallings out. I've been going to Worldcons since 1987. And I know that these things heal in time.
But I've taken off the Hugo nominee pin that I've worn proudly on my lapel since my Doctor Who episode,
The Doctor's Wife,
won the Hugo in September 2012, and, for now, I've put it away.
By: shelf-employed,
on 11/24/2011
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Kinney, Jeff. 2011
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever. New York: Abrams.
The wait is over.
Cabin Fever has finally arrived!
I've seen a lot of movies where a kid my age finds out he's got magical powers and then gets invited to go away to some special school. Well, if I've got an invitation coming, now would be the PERFECT time to get it.
A big snowstorm has Mrs. Heffley and the boys snowed in. Greg is fearful that the police will be coming for him at any minute (it wasn't really vandalism - it just looks that way), Manny's reprogrammed the parental controls so that no one can watch any programs except his favorites, the basement's flooded and Rodrick moves into Greg's room, Greg has to care for Manny since Mom's glasses are broken (oops!), Dad's stuck in a hotel (cue the bubble bath, robe, slippers, and cable TV), and the power's out. Just a typical month in Greg Heffley's diary. Amidst the laughter, Jeff Kinney coaxes out a spirit of community, of giving, of Christmas, and family togetherness - whether Greg Heffley likes it or not.
Another great addition to the
Wimpy Kid series!
One of the reasons I find the Wimpy Kid books so funny is that for all intents and purposes, I am Greg Heffley's mom (although my eyesight's better). I see myself in her character and I laugh and I'm thankful that my children are turning out OK in spite of me. ;) Hoping you have something to be thankful for, too.Happy Thanksgiving!
And thanks to
Abrams books for my review copy.
I had great news yesterday from the Joplin Writers Guild. My short story, "The Blizzard and the Baby," was accepted for publication in the upcoming anthology, STORM COUNTRY. The anthology showcases midwest storm stories and poems. The proceeds will go toward the damaged school libraries in Joplin, Missouri--those impacted by the tornado there earlier this year. The book is scheduled for publication next month in October. I'll keep you posted when I find out more information on purchasing the anthology, but in the meantime you can check out the authors and titles to be included in this fund-raising endeavor.
By:
Kathleen Rietz,
on 7/7/2011
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Watch this exciting book preview video of my new book,
Prairie Storms, written by Darcy Pattison and illustrated by me. The book is just weeks away from its release date. I am so excited. Watch the video
HERE! (Thanks to Darcy for putting together this video.)
By:
Kathleen Rietz,
on 5/16/2011
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To help launch the August release of my new picture book "Prairie Storms", written by
Darcy Pattison and published by
Sylvan Dell Publishing, I will be making available FREE coloring pages drawn by me! Each coloring page features a month with a scene which coordinates with a scene from the book. Just click the image, then either download the coloring page, or drag and drop it to your desk top. Be sure to print the image in a "landscape" format on your printer. The image size is 8.5" X 11". I would love to see your child's finished, colored page when they have finished coloring it.
Got a break in the storm right now, and the Internet is back up. Generator has been on all day. Here's an excerpt from the 60-mile-an-hour wind/rain/thunderstorm we had, first of four, and what it felt like perched here on the Pacific.
"A rattle awakens me followed by a crash on the rooftop. Pine cone, I tell myself. I look up through the skylight. A tree's limb bows, not quite broken off. Its skeleton hand strokes the roof and then the skylight. Hanging and dragging this way and that, like it's thinking. Every little move a teeth-rattling sound asking me to pay attention. It scrapes the roof again and again and then, s*&^t! It falls. Right above me. Just missed the skylight. The noise so loud I run for cover, OK, maybe I just hid under them:)"
Powerful, powerful storm. I have a meeting to go to tonight, but would be returning home so late I decide not to go. Don't want to be stuck on the 1 late at night in this kind of storm. Joe was on his way to work early this morning and on his drive, right by the road to Pfeiffer Ridge a PG & E truck blew over on its side. Now, those trucks are pretty weighty. But the wind just tossed it over. Joe got out to help the guy. The driver was just fine. They both directed traffic around it for a while. Ah, the rain is falling again. Better hit post before...
[Just LOVE that Mike Tyson's movie beat out Meryl Streep's movie for the Golden Globe last night:) LOVED The Hangover.]
By TwitterButtons.com
The Big Storm: A Very Soggy Counting Book by Nancy Tafuri
As the storm starts to blow, animals take shelter in the hill hollow. Young readers will get to count one-by-one as the animals squeeze in together and out of the rain. The thunder rumbles over their heads, but they soon realize that they are hearing another rumble that is coming from the back of the cave. Readers then get to quickly count backwards from 10 to 1 as the animals run out into the newly sunny fall day.
Tafuri excels at creating concept books for the youngest of readers that are filled with great art and a basic story with a fun twist. Her art is done in concentrated watercolor inks, pigma micron pens, and watercolor pencils. There is a great depth to the colors paired with a delicacy of line. The animals are all bright-eyed and friendly with the drama of the story coming from the storm and the discovery in the back of the cave! Tafuri’s pacing is perfect for the twist with steady counting leading up to 10 animals, a reveling of the storm, and then the reveal.
A perfect choice for stormy toddler story times, autumn reading, and a nice addition to so many specific animals story times thanks to the rabbit, squirrel, skunk and more. Appropriate for ages 1-4.
Reviewed from copy received from publisher.
From a few$2.99 seed packages in May, these delights: Nasturtiums in a swath across the front bed for end-of-summer glory, and Shirley Poppies that have bloomed for weeks, silken and lovely.
And I am enamoured of my pear tree, only a couple of months ago in blossom...
and now laden with ripening fruit.
Alice in Wonderland-like, one idea threads unexpectedly but logically to another. "Creative re-purposing" leads to fine china being stuffed with pencils and paintbrushes, and vessels re-purposed leads to domestic economies. Not the economies of nations, but of one household, in the spirit of environmental conscience. Leading to the concept of Magic Thinking, which is not generally considered to be a compliment to anyone's intelligence.
It began with wanting to continue to enjoy a nice deep relaxing bath every day, but not wanting to waste water. How about having the baths and saving the water to pour on the garden, which has to be watered anyway? One could use the plastic jugs that otherwise go to recycling - the kitty-litter and liquid laundry soap containers. The benefits immediately presented themselves to be listed on a satisfying check-list -
bath (check)
wise water management (check)
flowers watered! (check)
nice arm muscles from carrying jugs up and down stairs (check)
who needs a Stairmaster! (check)
and so on, virtue upon virtue.
In June I started saving the plastic jugs instead of sending them to be recycled. I filled up about 10 of them after a bath, ran out of jugs and there was still water in the tub. Tsk, tsk, the waste. The next morning I carried the jugs downstairs and emptied them over the flowers. Very hot day, with thunderstorms in the evening. Flowers very well watered indeed.
Ran not such a very deep bath the next night, saved the water afterwards, and carried the jugs downstairs. The flowers didn't need watering, they were well soaked from the previous night
and the next band of thunderstorms was on the move. The full vessels sat there on the front deck, and so the pattern continued through July.
Now for the "magic thinking": I didn't even have to fill up the jugs any more, I just stood them at the front door and uttered my intentions to the sky. It has rained almost every day and the garden is very green indeed.
Ah well, I don't need the exercise after all. I am supposed to Do Nothing for two weeks after next week's surgery, then the summer will be over. The lawns and gardens are marvellously green and the pear tree is heavy with fruit, faintly gold (delicious pear-tart recipe
here).
I have nearly finished up the next fairy book, helped by the memory of the little fairies who came to visit earlier in the summer at Sovereign House:
the stylish,
the small
and best friends,
observing every detail,
and undeterred by weather.
Best wishes, fairy followers all.
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By:
Shutta Crum,
on 8/21/2009
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Wow! When it rains, it pours. I just got word that the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books will be giving THUNDER-BOOMER! an “R*” in its September issue. (Recommended, and an asterisk for “exceptional.”)
A writer friend asked if I knew that this book (my tenth) would be exceptional? And how did it feel writing it? Hmmm . . .
Good questions! I remember I felt good writing it. I live on a farm now and I love how “the air smells sweet as butter” after a storm. And I LOVED the editorial process with my editor at Clarion, Marcia Leonard. But of course, I had no idea it would generate such good reviews. I truly believe that with a picture book, a good portion, if not MOST, of the weight of the book is carried by the illustrations. And Clarion had the great good sense to hook THUNDER-BOOMER! up with Carol Thompson-a truly talented and knowledgeable illustrator.
Carol’s use of drippy gray watercolors, collage, and pencil over textures brings the storm to life. And the pale pale green of the after-math—my favorite spread—is picture perfect. In fact, most of the reviews speak to Carol’s inspired illustrations. Thanks, Carol!!!
Enjoy,
Shutta
By:
Shutta Crum,
on 8/10/2009
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I have a wonderful little thunder stick I take with me when I visit schools. Many teachers and families have asked about where to get one. Below are some links and photos. I like getting a nice array of instruments together to make storm sounds and then read THUNDER-BOOMER! I point to each child to indicate when he/she is to play his/her instrument. I’m sure an upturned bucket would also suffice for thunder. But the thunder tube is so much more unexpected and exciting. They come in various sizes and are fairly inexpensive. And the frogs are fun, too. Enjoy!
For the rain: rainsticks. Available at:
amazon.com
musiciansfriend.com
For the thunder: thunder tubes/sticks.
Available at:
amazon.com
teachersource.com
For the hail: clappers, jingles, tambourines, shakers, gourd rattles. Make your own, or many inexpensive ones are available at:
musiciansfriend.com
For the frog/toad sounds after the rain: percussive frogs. Available at:
amazon.com
teachersource.com
Enjoy your classroom thunder storms!!
Shutta
By: Stacy Dillon,
on 6/5/2009
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Have you ever just been stopped cold by imagery? Matt Phelan has written and illustrated a graphic novel that even in arc form has risen to my list of all time favourites.
Jack is a child of the dust bowl. The rain stopped coming when he was just 7 years old, and since then he hasn't been much of a help. There is no farm work to do and his clumsy nature means that when he does try to help his dad, he usually just ends up knocking things over.
Many families are leaving town. There's nothing left but dust and sickness. Some are even being diagnosed with something called "dust dementia" which occurs when folks seem to see things in the dust that aren't there. Things like bright bursts of light from empty barns, and storm kings.
What is Jack seeing, and will he ever be able to help out and not be a burden?
I don't want to say too much about this extraordinary book since it is not due out until September, however, I could not help but share a bit since I have not seen a graphic novel that has pulled me in so quickly and so fully since Blankets, by Craig Thompson. This is a completely different book, but Phelan has raw emotion on every page from the atmospheric storms, to the drawn and wan faces of the people living through this incredible time in American History. The Dust Bowl has always been a fascinating subject matter, and The Storm in the Barn will most likely have readers looking for other information about the time period and the people who survived it. The book itself is chock full of historical detail from the popular Oz books, to rabbit drives, and snake superstitions. This is a title that I will happily buy in its finished form and pass on.
Thanks so much to Jesse for sharing this with me.
Local police, Fema Disaster Relief and Home Depot were there to offer assistance and supplies to families to shore up their homes and businesses.
Glimpses of the worst hit areas, blocked off by police. The homes in this photo have lost their roofs and walls.
A new home with it's windows blown out. The fencing also went through the windows.
An old farm that has been around for a very long time.
The inside of a local business that blew across the street.
We saw three trampolines, this one was out near the road with no home in site where it might have blown away from.
This brand new car wash lost its roof and the cement pillars toppled over on it.
Truck after truck of tree branches and debris headed for dumping areas.
Early this morning at about 2:30am I was awakened by the sound of an enormous rain storm, high winds, and the most incredible sound, like a train roaring toward our home. I had a hard time awakening but realized it was time to move. I literally rolled out of bed and looked out the window. The sky was unbelievably grey and the rain was coming straight sideways at an unbelievable speed-and the trees were completely on their sides also. K and I headed for the basement to take cover.
An F2 tornado (111 to 135 mph winds) went right over our home then touched down and started a path of destruction many miles long about a mile and a half from our home. This afternoon we went out to see the damage and I was able to take a few photos. The police had several subdivisions completely blocked off so you couldn't get in to see the serious damage as was understandable, so many families were trying to clean up. More storms are coming in tonight and many homes had no roofs or walls. People were out cutting down the trees that blocked to roadways and on their homes. We saw truck after truck loaded down with trees and debris.
Thankfully our home didn't suffer any damage and we only saw minor damage in our neighborhood. We are so grateful and blessed that we are safe and sound and pray for those who's homes sustained damage. Thankfully no lives were lost.
I tried hiding some Spoiler text yesterday, which worked for anyone reading actually my journal, but seems to have failed for anyone on the various feeds. Which means that I'm not going to answer a few more spoilery Dr Who comments that came in. But I also got told off for spoiling the identity of the character that John Simms plays for anyone in countries that have not yet got the new Season 3. And while I take the point of the people writing in to grumble, I have to point out that this is the internet, and honestly, it was difficult not to know it mid-season, for those of us who didn't figure it out from the combination of the end of the Christmas episode and the last scene of the first Martha Jones episode ("How did you DO that?" said Maddy, "I mean, you just knew it back then?" and all I could say was I've watched TV and it's not hard. The last of the big three baddies had to come back, after all). And once it's been broadcast, written about in the UK newspapers, and become part of the wealth of universal knowledge, it's sort of hard to avoid.
Hello Neil,
There seem to be a lot more people dropping your name recently. Here it is in today's Working Daze in reference to the upcoming Comicon.
http://comics.com/comics/workingdaze/archive/workingdaze-20070711.html
Cheers,
Sam
That's so sweet.
Did you know you haven't used the word "parenting" at all? I'm looking for a little experienced advice on comics and young children. Recently my mother-in-law (normally a truly wonderfully helpful person) rearranged our bookshelves and put the comics down with the other picture books. I'm not paranoid about exposure to violence, but I'm not sure my 2-yr-old really needs to be flipping through The Watchmen instead of The Snowman. Do you have any words of wisdom?
I don't think it's a bad thing not to use the word "parenting", for I have no ideas at all about parenting, although I think I've figured out a few things about being a Dad in the last 24 years. (The main thing I've figured out is as long as you love them and treat them like you'd like to be treated, things mostly work themselves out. And that if you ever find yourself in an argument with a teenager, you've already lost.)
I can't see that Watchmen is going to be anything more than pictures to a two year old. And I'd worry a lot more about jam stains on your comics than exposure to violence. (They aren't being exposed to violence. They're being exposed to pictures.)
Most kids self-censor incredibly well. They reject things that they think look dull, or too scary or weird, or just too old for them. And often when they do get hold of stuff that's too old for them, they don't neccessarily get what you're getting from it. (I've been accused of writing an explicit sex scene in Stardust and asked how I think that's okay for kids to read, and I have had to explain that the scene is only explicit if you bring yourself to it, not in the words used, and that it's significantly less explicit if you're a kid and you don't know what's being described.)
But a useful rule of thumb on what you give your kids access to is probably whether you're comfortable explaining it to them or not. If you don't feel comfortable answering the question of "What's that man with the splotchy face doing?" with "He's breaking that man's finger because he wants information about who pushed The Comedian out of the window and no-one in the bar is telling him anything," then probably you should move that stuff to a higher shelf, yes.
And then, as I said, there's the jam stains.
...
And look, you can see me pushing the new queen's cage into the honeycomb over at http://www.birdchick.com/2007/07/cant-stay-out-of-hives.html
By:
Judith Mammay,
on 6/2/2007
Blog:
Judy's Place
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Have been working on the marketing over the last few days, sending emails with my press release to a number of Autism Societies across the country, and generating an address labels page for others. It's amazing how many there are; I am up to only page six of more than twenty pages in a google search. I figure if I do ten a day, I might finish in a month or two.
The good thing is that I have had a few responses, too, and have sent out a few books for review.
In addition, I have joined some listserves and introduced myself, which has generated a good deal of traffic on my website.
And from one of the listserves, I received the inspiration to write an article about grandparenting a child with autism, in response to a question asked about how to do that. So I have started working on that.
Then, I was reading my new SCBWI Bulletin yesterday, and found a publisher looking for books with the same criteria as the first one I wrote, which does not yet have a home...so of course, I sat right down and submitted it.
The weather here is warm, windy and wet. Barry is passing through...don't know the name of the first storm...I seemed to have missed that one. But the rain is what we need, so welcome, Barry.
Flash, Crash, Rumble, and Roll (1999), written by Franklyn Branley and illustrated by True Kelley - This book in the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series focuses on thunder and lightning. Back matter includes 2 simple experiments and additional resource suggestions for learning more.
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I have ARC envy! Between this and Liar, you score the big ones!
I am lucky to have generous friends! This one came to Jesse, and he passed it on.
I love Matt Phelan's work but I don't know if I can handle this... I have an inexplicable fear of droughts!
Hi Fourstory: Push yourself through! It's totally worth it.
Wow - this looks great! I'll be watching for it eagerly
Z-Dad