The Cloud Book

This book models identification, observation and classification by instructing students to, “Look up at the sky.” The book helps classify different clouds by using descriptive words and images of different clouds. A teacher could point to the image and ask, “What kind of cloud is this?” Students could answer cirrus, cumulus, and stratus clouds. A teacher could further investigate by asking, “How do you know?” Students could use observational notes like low in the sky, gray, and high in the sky.

• Author: Tomie de Paola
• Illustrator: Tomie de Paola
• Year Published: 1975
• ISBN: 0-15-302137-3

Science Topics

• Earth Science

Minimum Suggested Grade Level

• 1st Grade

Maximum Suggested Grade Level

• 4th Grade

Summary

This book helps students classify different types of clouds by describing what the clouds look like, through color, shape, size and position. The Cloud Book also presents a worldly view on clouds by explaining how different cultures talk about clouds and common sayings about clouds.

Evaluation

• Appropriateness: Medium
• Authority: Low
• Accuracy: Medium
• Liteary Artistry: Medium
• Appearance: Medium

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

This book models identification, observation and classification by instructing students to, “Look up at the sky.” The book helps classify different clouds by using descriptive words and images of different clouds. A teacher could point to the image and ask, “What kind of cloud is this?” Students could answer cirrus, cumulus, and stratus clouds. A teacher could further investigate by asking, “How do you know?” Students could use observational notes like low in the sky, gray, and high in the sky.

Does the book provide an opportunity for children to ask and answer their own questions?

This book has very busy and colorful images on each page that students could ask a lot of questions about before reading any text. For example, one question that could be asked and answered independently includes, “can clouds be different colors?”

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

There are no explicit directions for students to stop and think. There are images that create wonderings. One example of a questions a group of fourth grade students generated is, “I wonder what the clouds look like at night”.

Is the science topic addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson?

The science topic is appropriate to the lesson.

Is the content based on sound scientific principles? Is it accurate?

The content is based on sound principles. The basic are addressed. Clouds are made of water and ice, and they are in the upper atmosphere in the earth. The second half of the book has no scientific basis behind it. For example, a main idea from the book is people in the mountains name clouds differently from Native Americans.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

The book transitions from facts about clouds and classifying clouds to Greek mythology. The book does not provide good transition sentences between the facts, fiction, and the role that clouds played in different cultures and legends. All that is said is “In the olden days”. There is no other context, like when these ideas were popular. Because of this, a reader could be easily be confused about the Greek gods being as real as Native Americans.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

The illustrations in this book could be better with real pictures of clouds. Misconceptions could emerge from this book. For example, one illustration has the clouds connecting to the ground. It looks as if the students could walk straight into them. Another example of an unclear picture in this book is the cumulus clouds are described as, “look like cauliflowers”. Then the illustrator drew a cauliflower stand and the clouds and cauliflower look similar but it is a really confusing concept because there is not enough distinction between the images of the cauliflower and the cumulus clouds. The most bothersome picture is on the third page and it states, “And if you could hop on a bird and fly way up you would see the whole earth covered with clouds”. The image is of a baby riding a bird in space using a telescope to look at the earth. Here is where the author could have really emphasized the technology used to study clouds.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

This book can fit for many different levels of children when reading with a partner or for a read aloud. The different types of clouds have big names like, "cumulus, cirrocumulus, and cirrostratus." The vocabulary to describe the clouds like, "fleece, mixed, changing shape," is about right for a group of varying levels. The book works well in an inclusion classroom because the higher students can help decode the big cloud words. Then together they can learn and discuss things like, “what exactly does middle of the sky mean?”

Is there a multicultural component? Is it free from stereotyping?

There is  a multicultural component in this book that is stereotypical. On a page describing fog and it’s altitude level, the book references living on a mountain. The little girl on the mountain was dressed in traditional Swiss garb next to a sign that read, “Heidi’s Inn”. This reinforces the stereotype that swiss children are blonde and blue-eyed and wear traditional clothing all the time. Another example would be the illustration of Native Americans standing by teepees wearing braids. This reinforces the stereotype that Native Americans look and live a certain way. To eliminate bias the author could have shown what Native American children look like in schools now.

Is the book free from gender bias?

The book contains both female and male characters. There is no dialogue between the characters, so the reader is focused more on the clouds in the book than the characters.

Does the book show the close association between science and other disciplines?

The book integrates science and a little bit of history. It pays a tribute to ideas in the past from various places around the world after teaching the different cloud types. This connection to history emphasizes the idea that clouds have been a constant part of nature in our world. Students learn people have been observing clouds and telling stories about them for thousands of years.

Does the book present a positive attitude toward science and technology?

The author is presenting an idea that science can be “fun, silly and interesting". There is an element of humor to this book at the end, which could make this book popular in a classroom. There is no tie in to technology, which is upsetting because I feel like the author could have scrapped the urban legends and cultural ideas of clouds and jumped into a meteorology portion. There could is potential for a connection to the technology behind seeing scientific images of the clouds, close up and space view.