Wind (Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers (SSCR)) - Hardcover

Fadeeva, Olga

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802855997 ISBN 13: 9780802855992

Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2023

Synopsis

“A beautiful and fascinating primer on the wind.” 
― Kirkus Reviews 

The importance of wind in our weather, environment, and history is explored in this well-researched, beautifully illustrated nonfiction book for young readers.

If your hair has ever blown back on a breezy day, you’ve noticed the wind at work. But what causes the wind? Are there different types of wind? How do we measure and name them? 

How does the wind shape our ecosystems, plants, and animals? What about people: how have human beings used the wind in the past and the present? Can you really sail into the wind, and would a tailwind help or hurt your plane’s takeoff? Up, up beyond the clouds, does the wind affect other planets, too? 

Created with help from a meteorologist, Olga Fadeeva’s beautifully illustrated and well-researched book is a fascinating exploration of the wind’s role in world history and earth science. Playful prose and colorful illustrations invite children to bring their questions along as they learn more about this powerful―but sometimes overlooked―natural element. Translated from Russian by Lena Traer and part of Eerdmans’ Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers series. 

Awards

The Children’s Book Committee of Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year List - STEM & Outstanding Merit 
The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) Outstanding International Books List - PreK-2 

About this title

About the Authors

Olga Fadeeva is the author and illustrator of Water: Discovering the Precious Resource All Around Us, Wind: Discovering Air in Motion (Eerdmans), and many other books for children. Wind earned a starred review from Kirkus and was named a USSBY Outstanding International Book, and Water earned starred reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal. Olga’s art has been honored in Italy, China, and her home country of Russia. Follow Olga on Instagram @olgafadeeva_illustrations.

Lena Traer is a Russian- and English-language translator with a focus on books for children and young adults. She has translated Wind: Discovering Air in Motion, Water: Discovering the Precious Resource All Around Us, and On the Edge of the World (all Eerdmans) into English and has also translated a variety of picture books and scientific materials into Russian. Born and raised in Siberia, Russia, Lena now lives in San Francisco.

Reviews

Gr 3–5—Readers of this informative book will learn about a wide range of wind-related topics. Formatted as a series of questions and answers, the topics include: What is wind? What are the different types of wind? How do we describe wind speed? How does wind affect birds? Are there winds in outer space? The answers introduce readers to many vocabulary words in clear explanations of how wind operates. All of this is provided in an attractive, inviting context that depicts people experiencing wind or provides additional supportive information. A map, for example, illustrates where the different kinds of prevailing winds blow, and a discussion of how wind helps ships sail shows an ancient Egyptian trading ship and a Roman battleship. There are a few questionable items. The beginning of the book, for example, takes a fictional rather than a factual stance by asking where the wind comes from and suggesting these answers: giants blowing air with all their might, a windmill, trees swaying, or the wings of a large bird. Readers are invited to share what they think. But this musing only last for one page before moving into facts. Second, the answer to the question, "What happens in a hurricane?" is "off topic." It discusses, instead, why hurricanes are given their names. VERDICT This work provides a great deal for young readers to learn and think about, delivered in an appealing way.—Myra Zarnowski

Edition details

• Publisher: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802855997
• ISBN 13: 9780802855992
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 48