Marion Dane Bauer is the author of many books for young readers, including the Newbery Honor book On My Honor and the Coretta Scott King Book Illustrator Award winner The Stuff of Stars. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, and can be reached at MarionDaneBauer.com.
John Wallace's formal training was not in illustration, but rather theology, which he received at University of Cambridge. However, he always loved drawing, and one of his early jobs was as a newspaper cartoonist. In his children's book illustrations, he is particularly inspired by what he calls "the gooniness" of young schoolchildren. John lives in Broadstairs, England.
K-Gr 2-Two simple science books for beginning readers. The first title introduces the different types of clouds (cirrus, stratus, and cumulus) by stating their defining characteristics. In Rain, a day goes from hot to rainy to clear again, but the scientific concept is not as clearly expressed. Elucidating the cyclical nature of the water cycle without using the word "evaporation" is a daunting challenge. Stating that a puddle "goes into the sky" is not an adequate explanation. Both volumes are illustrated with appealing one- and two-page paintings that show children interacting with their environment and end with a page of additional facts. These books are aimed at less advanced readers than either the "Let's-Read-and-Find-Out-Science" series (HarperCollins) or the "Rookie Read-about Science" series (Children's). Clouds provides brief, but adequate coverage of its topic; Rain is too vague and general to be useful.-Lisa Smith, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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