Can it Really Rain Frogs?: The World's Strangest Weather Events

by Spencer Christian, Antonia Felix

Overview

What makes a twister twist? Where does acid rain come from? Is ittrue that snow is sometimes green? Or even red? Can it really raincats and dogs . . . and frogs?

Join popular ABC-TV weather forecaster Spencer Christian as heexplores the amazing—and sometimes unpredictable—world ofweather. Look inside a flash of lightning. Mix up your own instantrainbow. Find out how caves "sing" and if a tornado can actuallypluck the feathers off a chicken.

It's an action-packed tour of the world's strangest weatherevents—with lots of easy-to-do activities that let you experiencethe secrets of nature up close. Plus dozens of fascinatingsidebars, fun facts, and illustrations bring the world's wonders tovivid life. What's the weather? It's awesome!

For children ages 8 to 12

Also available in Spencer Christian's World of Wonders series:Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The World's Most Amazing Earthquakes,Volcanoes, and Other Forces

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780471152903
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	07/10/1997
Series:	Spencer Christians World of Wonders , #9
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	1,015,819
Product dimensions:	7.01(w) x 9.84(h) x 0.39(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

In addition to his work on Good Morning America, SPENCER CHRISTIAN is a writer and presenter on subjects from the weather to our government. ANTONIA FELIX is the author of several nonfiction books for adults and children.

Table of Contents

Meet the Wild and Wonderful World Weather Machine.

Reading the Sky: The Secrets of Clouds.

Yes, It Really Can Rain Frogs!: Rain of All Sorts.

Nature's Sound and Light Shows: Thunder and Lighting.

Wild Winds: The Awesome Power of Hurricanes and Tornadoes.

Frozen Stuff: When Weather Gets Flaky.

Songbirds and Satellites: How Animals and Instruments Help UsForecast the Weather.

Groundhogs, Shadows, and Silly Sayings: The Truth about WeatherLore.

Glossary.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 3-7Christian describes strange weather events such as raining frogs, singing caves, and colored rain, giving solid meteorological data. He includes lore and information about legends such as Groundhog Day that will be especially helpful for the annual requests on that topic. (Unfortunately, there's no mention of El Nio.) Possible science-fair projects can be developed from the experiments included, such as making a barometer or hygrometer. Suitable precautions appear when necessary. However, the activities, which require simple materials and include step-by-step, clearly written directions, are not the unique items in the book. What will draw readers is the assortment of material on phenomena such as human hailstones or the famous weather-forecasting goats of Mount Nebo. Black-and-white cartoons and other illustrations appear on every page, but they're more decorative than informative.Blair Christolon, Prince William Library, Manassas, VA

School Library Journal

In this chatty entry in the Spencer Christian's World of Wonders series, the Good Morning America personality puts together anecdotes, odd facts, brief experiments, and information on weather phenomena. Under discussion are basic weather patterns, clouds, rain, snow, hail, thunder, lightning, tornadoes, hurricanes, weather instruments, and related folklore. Quirky facts from around the world are presented without sources, and the experiments are not always well-conceived: For a rain gauge made from an empty olive jar (with a ruler to mark off inches), readers are told to gather rain in a coffee can (to pour into the gauge), but not that the size of the can will influence readings. In another experiment, readers are instructed to put a flameproof glass cake pan filled with water on a stove top (the illustration shows a gas burner) over low heat to show that water moves from cool to warm areas; those pans are not always intended to sit directly on gas flames, and heating only one area may cause cracking. This in an interesting and readable book, but readers may have to go to other sources for safer activities, and to gain clearer distinctions between facts and folklore.

Kirkus Reviews