Weather by Seymour Simon

Simon, Seymour. 2006. Weather. York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060884390

“Weather influences so much of what we do.” (Simon, p.32)

Weather changes quickly, and you can find nearly every type of weather possible at any given moment somewhere on our planet. Seymour Simon describes the various types of weather and what produces them. He gives us detailed pictures of clouds, snowflakes, and even the various layers of hail. It is a fascinating book.

Seymour Simon produced another beautiful nonfiction book with awesome pictures and detailed descriptions of various weather related phenomenon. A check of any online site regarding clouds, snowflakes, or hail shows that Simon is extremely accurate. He explains that the same phenomenon in different areas of the world may have different and “colorful names” yet they are the same thing.

However, the back of the book suggests that this is produced for children from ages five to nine. Yet beyond the photos, there are little to no access features to help at all. In addition, many of the photos, while being beautiful, have little relevance to the text on the page. For example, on pages 6 & 7, Simon explains how the intense heat from the sun warms our atmosphere and creates the “greenhouse effect.” He goes on to describe the results from the temperature rising across the world and melting the ice caps. But the photo is of a gorgeous sunset, when the heat would be much less than intense. While the picture shows the earth and some directional swirls, there is little to explain how the swirl’s effect impacts the earth.
A quick check with the Flesch-Kincaid reading level and the Fry reading level show that the reading level for this book is grade 5.8 and 6.8 respectively. Regardless which scale you use, the reading level is far above the average nine years old’s reading level, let alone a five years old. Interestingly, when I found the School Library Journal review it stated that this was appropriate for fourth through seventh grades.

“Simon may have done more than any other living author to help us understand and appreciate the beauty of our planet and out universe.” Kirkus Reviews

From School Library JournalGrade 4-7-As with Simon's previous titles on the individual planets (Morrow), this book is a perfect marriage of words and pictures. Each high-quality, full-color photograph or diagram is truly a work of art, suitable for framing. The large-print text, sometimes superimposed on the illustrations, is easy to read. Beginning with the general effects of the sun and the Earth's rotation, continuing with wind patterns, temperature, clouds, and precipitation, and concluding with smog and the greenhouse effect, the author lucidly discusses all of the terms and elements that constitute tropospheric weather. Instruments and the possible affects of human activity on the atmosphere are touched upon. Unfortunately, the full-page diagrams that demonstrate the way the sun warms the Earth and the speed of its rotation do not clearly explain those phenomena. Gail Gibbons's Weather Words and What They Mean (Holiday, 1990) covers much of the same information, but has a cartoon format. Martyn Bramwell's Weather (Watts, 1988; o.p.) is for older readers.Meryl Silverstein, American Museum of Natural History, New York City. (This review is from the original printing. In the second printing, the order of the events are different, though not changed.)

I would probably use this as a trade book beginning in fourth grade (for my GT students) and continuing on through high school. It might be possible to use this near the end of a unit on weather, after other books at reading level and with access features have been used. For the lower grades, shared reading may be of help. For lower grades, I would use it in conjunction with such titles as, Oh Say Can You Say What’s the Weather Today by Trish Rabe and Aristides Ruiz; What Will the Weather Be? By Linda DeWitt and Carolyn Croll; and Flash, Clash, Rumble, and Roll by Franklyn M. Branley and True Kelley.

In higher grades, this would be an excellent tradebook on its own or it could be combined with other books on the topic, such as Weather (Eye Wonder) by DK Publishing or Weather For Dummies by John D. Cox. It could be used on a larger thematic unit like earth’s natural wonders. It might be great to use some of Simon’s other books, such as EarthQuakes, Lightning, Oceans, and Volcanoes.
A teacher might even cut out the pictures, frame them in frames constructed during Art, and display them on bulletin boards. These books are only $6.99 but if money is a concern, you can get used copies for dismantling.