Wind

by Olga Fadeeva, Lena Traer (Translator)

Overview

The Children’s Book Committee of Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year List - STEM & Outstanding Merit (2024)

The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) Outstanding International Books List - PreK-2 (2024)

A browsable, appealing introduction to an important weather phenomenon.

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, this beautiful 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802855992
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	04/11/2023
Series:	Spectacular STEAM for Curious Readers (SSCR)
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	1,112,031
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 11.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	1030L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 11 Years

About the Author

Olga Fadeeva is the author and illustrator of Wind: Discovering Air in Motion (Eerdmans) and many other books for children. In a starred review, Kirkus called Wind "thoroughly engaging.masterful in both design and imagery." 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 and On the Edge of the World (both 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.

Editorial Reviews

Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A beautiful and fascinating primer on the wind.”

School Library Journal
“This work provides a great deal for young readers to learn and think about, delivered in an appealing way.

From the Publisher

05/01/2023

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

School Library Journal

★ 2023-01-25
“Where does the wind come from?”

This thoroughly engaging book translated from Russian offers a broad overview of wind, from what causes wind to ways in which humans throughout history have harnessed it. Although its opening double-page spread strikes a rather fanciful tone (“Maybe there are giants… / who blow air with all their might?”), this is quickly dispelled by the next page turn, which launches immediately into science. (“It happens because of differences in air pressure….”) The narrative intertwines snippets of historical facts and basic science (the Beaufort scale, how hurricanes form, etc.), keeping readers intrigued and entertained. Full of rich textures, the full-color, double-page spreads are masterful in both design and imagery and add a colorful, dynamic, and sometimes whimsical layer to the factual narrative. Noteworthy is the book’s scope. Examples of discoveries related to wind span the globe. The major types of wind that surround the planet (trade winds, prevailing westerlies, etc.) are clearly defined and illustrated, underscoring the universality of wind and its effects on all of Earth’s land masses. The author also describes wind’s influence on human inventions such as boats and airplanes as well as its impact and importance for animals and plants.

A beautiful and fascinating primer on the wind. (Nonfiction. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews