The Sky Stirs Up Trouble

June 1, 2016
Preschool-G Weather isn't so scary once you understand it! Bel is fond of saying. Bel, who learned about weather from her meteorologist mom, is more than eager to reassure her cousin Dylan when he gets nervous about storms. The fictional narrative and playful cartoon illustrations frame facts about storms and weather phenomenon. A tornado siren in The Sky Stirs Up Trouble heralds one of the trickiest of weather events, and Bel bakes a cake to show her cousin all the different ingredients that come together to make a tornado. Each volume ends with an activity, giving kids a kinetic approach to the weather. The facts here are basic, and the narrative spin and clean-lined, easy-to-follow illustrations make this a solid series for younger readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2016
"Weather isn't so scary once you understand it," says Bel. In these books, she and her cousin, Dylan, experience various weather events, and Bel explains each occurrence to allay fears. Information is presented clearly, but the texts are stilted; additional facts appear in sidebars. The family dog and anthropomorphic weather elements in the cartoonlike illustrations add humor. An activity/experiment is appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)