A Wild Ride on the Water Cycle (Jake & Alice)

It’s no wonder that meteorologist Anthony Yanez is a favorite with teachers. He knows just how to make the science of weather come alive for kids. He takes complicated topics, like the water cycle, and explains them in ways that not only make sense, they’re also fun. In A Wild Ride on the Water Cycle, he introduced young readers to two friends, Jake and Alice, who like to hang out and joke around. The main difference between these friends and Yanez’ audience is that Jake and Alice are drops of water. The engaging tale of their friendship begins with their initial introduction in a lake, so long ago there were still dinosaurs in the water and on the land. As they travel around the planet through the years, they become part of every aspect of weather: rain, snow, fog and more. As their story brings the process to life, Yanez includes the science behind each stage of the water cycle with accurate, accessible terminology. It takes a great weatherman to make sense of the weather, and the forecast for enjoyment of his first weather book is 100 percent.

As the weekday morning meteorologist at Houston’s KPRC, Anthony Yanez wakes up at 2:30 a.m. He is at work at 3 a.m., and starting at 4:30 a.m. he’s explaining weather. The best part of his job is telling weather stories. He holds the American Meteorological Society seal of approval for television weathercasting, as well as the National Weather Association seal, given to broadcast meteorologists who have shown competency and on-air performance skills that are above standard. Outside of work, Anthony speaks to large groups on hurricane preparedness and visits area schools to discuss severe weather safety.