Boy, Were We Wrong About the Weather!

April 15, 2015
From dancing to appease a weather god to observing and investigating with modern scientific tools, humans have come a long way in their understanding of the weather. The author of previous titles about old and new ideas about dinosaurs and the solar system here introduces Earth's weather and climate. This lighthearted overview skips lightly through history and around the world, giving examples of past weather explanations and prediction methods. Each former belief is contrasted with today's understandings about: the water cycle; thunderstorms; the vital role of the sun and the importance of many other geographical factors; using instruments and satellites to make predictions of hurricanes and other weather phenomena; and past and present climate change, including modern global warming and new, more destructive weather patterns. About modern climate change deniers, Kudlinski boldly states, "Boy, are they wrong!" (One exception to the "Boy, were they wrong!" pattern is the 2,000-year-old adage about red skies in the morning. This works, and Kudlinski provides a scientific explanation.) Serra's lively cartoon-style illustrations, created with pencil and computer graphics, are cheery and upbeat. Gray storms are contrasted with colorful indoor and outdoor scenes. Simplifying such a complex subject can lead to missteps, such as suggesting that "germs" can form the cores of raindrops rather than bacteria. But overall the information is appropriate for the intended readers. A humorous take on an endlessly interesting subject. (timeline, websites) (Informational picture book. 5-8)

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May 1, 2015

Gr 2-4-Following the pattern established in earlier titles, Kudlinski uses the refrain "Boy were we wrong..." to contrast weather misconceptions throughout history with modern-day understandings. She explores the meaning of terms such as meteorology and hurricane, which originated from ancient beliefs and misguided theories, and she explains that some myths and legends contained elements of truth. Accessible information is presented concisely, and the clever, humorous tone of the text complements Serra's lively, engaging cartoon illustrations. There is plenty here to inspire even the youngest readers to seek out more material about the subject. The author encourages kids to become involved with tackling global warming and to see themselves as potential scientists. VERDICT A valuable resource for report writing and pleasure reading alike.-Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
Grades K-3 As Kudlinski showed children in Boy, Were We Wrong about Dinosaurs! (2005) and Boy, Were We Wrong about the Solar System! (2008), science is a process rather than a fixed body of knowledge. The most recent volume in the series looks at changes in ideas about weather and climate. According to Kudlinski, the ancient Greeks thought that the weather was determined by earth, air, wind, and fire, but scientists now explain that weather is affected by the sun's heat, the Earth's spin and tilt, and many other factors. And while today's instruments and knowledge help with weather prediction, climate change has added a new degree of uncertainty. The clearly written text moves along at a good pace. While the colorful digital illustrations can seem busy, many offer visually interesting perspectives. With its unusual slant on the topic, this picture book would be an intriguing supplementary title for classroom units on the weather. And if kids come to the conclusion that experts can be wrong, well, a bit of skepticism is a useful thing.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Weather prediction is -- and has always been -- a notoriously difficult task for scientists and nonscientists alike. Kudlinski's exploration of the evolution of weather, atmosphere, and climate sciences interweaves accounts of historical beliefs about meteorology with current understandings of important topics such as the water cycle, storms, and longterm climate change. In the telling, she emphasizes the important scientific practices of learning from one's mistakes ( Boy, were they wrong! ) and drawing on many different sources of evidence to try to develop knowledge. Although most of the narrative focuses on correcting old assumptions, a few examples of being right from the start -- including old sailors' tales about red skies at night and early predictions of global warming -- help to show that some scientific ideas stand the test of time. Cartoonlike digital and pencil illustrations feature children and adults experiencing weather in modern and historical contexts. danielle j. ford

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