Storm's Coming! - Hardcover

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.

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