Storm's Coming!

by Margi Preus, David Geister (Illustrator)

Overview

Attentive young Sophie lives with her family at a lighthouse on the shore of Lake Superior. At this essential outpost, everyone has a job to do, whether baking bread, fishing for dinner, or caring for the light. And in this isolated place, in a time long before smartphones and Internet connections, news arrives only by ship, and information is sometimes gathered in unexpected places. Sophie is attuned to her natural surroundings, and she reads signs in a dandelion bloom, a spider’s web, seagulls in flight, and even a squeaky door. All these clues lead her to one conclusion: a storm is brewing. Sophie scurries to spread the word—to family members tending the garden, hanging laundry, and picking blueberries. Most important, though: she needs to warn Papa of the impending change in the weather. As the lighthouse keeper, Papa maintains the foghorn, checks the light, and polishes its lens, his chores focused on keeping the signal working properly to warn ships away from treacherous rocks. Will Sophie reach Papa in time to alert him about the storm? And will the lighthouse be ready to guide nearby ships as the sky darkens and rain begins to fall?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681340180
Publisher:	Minnesota Historical Society Press
Publication date:	09/15/2016
Edition description:	1
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,084,731
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.20(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Margi Preus is the author of several award-winning books for young readers, including Heart of a Samurai, West of the Moon, and Enchantment Lake.

David Geister has illustrated twenty picture books, including Riding to Washington, The Voyageur's Paddle, and Alan and His Perfectly Pointy Impossibly Perpendicular Pinky.

Editorial Reviews

09/12/2016
Preus's (Enchantment Lake) homespun story introduces a family that lives on a cliff high above Lake Superior, in the shadow of an imposing lighthouse. Observant Sophie reads clues from nature—bees take refuge in their hive, a dandelion closes up, etc.—as harbingers of an impending storm, sharing the news with each of her four siblings as they tackle outdoor chores. After Sophie delivers a final warning to her father, the lighthouse keeper, she helps him carry oil to fill the foghorn's engine and wind the clock that keeps the light's lens turning, before insisting on keeping vigil with him during the storm (it's clear that Sophie is both thrilled by and wary of the power wielded by a thunderstorm). Geister's (Surviving the Hindenburg) oil paintings offer tender, close-up portraits of the characters, authentically portraying Sophie's urgency and the dramatic transformation of sky and water as the storm descends. An author's note touches lightly on the science behind the folk wisdom that Sophie and her family relies on, which should fascinate weather-curious readers. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Preus's (Enchantment Lake) homespun story introduces a family that lives on a cliff high above Lake Superior, in the shadow of an imposing lighthouse. Observant Sophie reads clues from nature—bees take refuge in their hive, a dandelion closes up, etc.—as harbingers of an impending storm, sharing the news with each of her four siblings as they tackle outdoor chores. After Sophie delivers a final warning to her father, the lighthouse keeper, she helps him carry oil to fill the foghorn's engine and wind the clock that keeps the light's lens turning, before insisting on keeping vigil with him during the storm (it's clear that Sophie is both thrilled by and wary of the power wielded by a thunderstorm). Geister's (Surviving the Hindenburg) oil paintings offer tender, close-up portraits of the characters, authentically portraying Sophie's urgency and the dramatic transformation of sky and water as the storm descends. An author's note touches lightly on the science behind the folk wisdom that Sophie and her family relies on, which should fascinate weather-curious readers. Ages 3–7. (Sept.) Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

10/01/2016
K-Gr 3—Sophie lives on the grounds of Split Rock Lighthouse—now a National Historic Landmark—on the shore of Lake Superior. The youngest of six siblings, she is eager to take on some responsibilities of her own. So when Mama remarks that her bread dough is rising fast, Sophie runs outside to warn the others that a storm is approaching. The story focuses on how the lighthouse works and offers some curious adages regarding natural phenomena and stormy weather. "Dandelion blossoms close up before a rain," notes sister Polly as she begins to remove the drying laundry from the clothesline. "A bee was never caught in a shower," says brother Dan as they watch worker bees fly from flowering cucumber vines toward the hive. After warning her siblings, Sophie joins Papa at the lighthouse, reminding him to check the foghorn, watching him fuel its engine, checking to see that each window is shut, and then helping Papa wind the clock that turns the lens that has to be polished, which leaves no time for her to run home, because the storm has arrived. Geister's realistic oil paintings of a lighthouse, outbuildings, and grounds bring this tale to life. Close-up portraits showing soft, rounded faces; Peter Pan collars; and Buster Brown haircuts suggest an early-20th-century setting. An author's note highlights "weather forecasting proverbs." VERDICT Pair with Gail Gibbons's Beacons of Light and some of the many good titles on storms or weather for this age group to provide an engaging lesson.—Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Public Library, OH

School Library Journal