Prairie Storms

By: Darcy Pattison
Illustrated by: Kathleen Rietz
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
Publication Date: August 2011
ISBN: 978-1607181392
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: August 2011

 

A flash of lightening, a boom of thunder - it’s a prairie storm! In this educational book from Sylvan Dell, the young reader learns all about storms on the great grasslands of North America.

Beginning in January, this book has a two-page spread for each month of the year. We see how different the cold, wet storms in January are from the hot, rainless lightning storms of August. We also get a glimpse of how the prairie animals such as fox, mice, deer and bison, deal with the various weather conditions. The reader will meet adorable little prairie dogs hunkered down in their burrows to wait out the flash floods striking above ground in April as well as a cougar who takes cover to avoid the painful sting of hail stones that are hitting the ground in October.

The illustrations in Prairie Storms are eye-catching and will draw readers into the story. There are also six pages in the back of the book “For Creative Minds” with activities to further the understanding of what prairies are and the weather conditions found in those areas. Additionally, there are activities (free!) online at the publisher’s website.

Quill says: Another winner from Sylvan Dell!