Picture Books About Weather
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Help your children learn about the different kinds of weather with picture books!
Here’s a collection of great books to get you started.
Books About Weather
All About Weather by Huda Harajli
Simple and factual, learn about weather and how to dress for the different kinds of weather.
Hello, Weather by Jill McDonald
Questions prompt kids to think about weather plus facts share facts about the weather.
Little Kids Big Book of Weather by Karen de Seve
Heat, wind, clouds, storms, and more– learn all about weather by reading these simple facts accompanied by colorful, dramatic photographs.
Everything Weather by Kathy Furgang
Learn about dangerous weather like tornadoes, weather watching, and fun facts about the weather.
The Weather Pop-up Book by Maike Biederstaedt
Impressive pop-ups show a storm tossing a cargo boat in white-capped waves, a large tornado, rain coming down from clouds, cacti in a hot desert, and ice crystals that form snow. A paragraph of informational text describes each pop-up illustration and the back matter explains climate change.
Books About Rain
 
Rain by Sam Usher
Sam is an imaginative boy who is stuck inside with his granddad during a rainstorm. Sam wants to splash in puddles, a voyage with sea monsters, and visit a floating city. But does the rain stop? No. Until it does and Sam’s wait was worth it. Nice use of repetitive structure with a life lesson on patience.
Rain by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Christian Robinson
A delightful story contrasting a grumpy old man and a happy-go-lucky little boy who both see their life and the rain from their own perspectives. Until . . . the man forgets his hat in the cafe and the little boy returns it to him. “Ribbit.” So charming.
Soaked! by Abi Cushman
A grumpy, miserable bear learns to have fun in the rain…He complains how rain ruins everything and invites his friends into his cave, including a hula hooping moose. Bear can’t even find his umbrella. Then, when he tries to get Moose’s hula-hoop unstuck from a tree, he and all th others fall splat into a puddle. And that’s when they all start to have lots of fun. Bear hula-hoops and everyone is splashing, soaked, and having the best time!
Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse, illustrated by Jon J Muth
Tess is hoping for rain. And when it rains, it pours! She and her family welcome the rain with their own dance celebration. Beautifully written with glorious language.
Worm Weather by Jean Taft, illustrated by Matt Hunt
Simple, lyrical text shares the delight of children experiencing rainy weather.
After the Rain by Rebecca Koehn, illustrated by Simone Kruger
What can you do after the rain? Levi plays boats and splashes in puddles until he meets Polly who doesn’t want to share her river. A battle begins. But the water starts to leave so the two declare a truce and cooperate to build a dam and a lake to play in together. A delightful picture book with simple, playful text, perfect for the preschool set to learn about friendship.
Home and Dry by Sarah L. SmithÂ
Books About Storms
Storm by Sam Usher
I Am the Storm by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Heidi E. Y. Stemple
When there is bad weather like a tornado, a blizzard, a forest fire, and a hurricane happen, the girl shares what she does with her family that feels safe and comforting. Then, after it stops, as it always does, the girl and her family do something helpful like pick up or fix things The predictable text structure also feels reassuring. The book ends with children finding similarities between themselves and the weather. “I am loud like the tornado. I am wild like the blizzard. I am hot like the fire. I am fierce like the hurricane. I am the storm.”
Thunder Trucks by Cheryl Klein and Katy Beebe, illustrated by Mike Boldt
These Thunder trucks live in the clouds and make the storms: thunder, rain, hail, lightning, and big snow. Besides being an engaging story, it teaches personification! Read how the Dump Truck bustles in with a crash, tilting her dumpster bed up, up, up to pour the hailstones thump, thump, thump. “Thunder Trucks loud. Thunder Trucks strong. Thunder Trucks moving this storm along. The Firetruck makes lightning. The Big Rigs makes Thunder. They divvy it up and roll out so the whole sky rumbles with power and pride.“
When the Storm Comes by Linda Ashman, illustrated by Taeeun Yoo
A simple, refreshing story that gives clarity to what humans and animals do when bad weather comes and goes. “We find a small, protected space–/A hollow log, a sheltered place.” And also “We bring things in / To keep them dry.” When the storm ends, people clean up and enjoy the change in the weather.
Zap! Clap! Boom! The Story of a Thunderstorm by Laur Purdie Salas, illustrated by Elly MacKay
In rhyme (that I actually like), this book describes a thunderstorm from beginning to end. It starts with warm air rising to the cooler air in the sky and the heavy black clouds forming. Then, zap! clap! boom!– the thunder and lightning and rain arrive. Then, the storm is over and the earth is sparkling and fresh. I love everything about this book except the illustration showing kids dancing in the rain directly after the page of lightning and thunder –and right before another page with lightning and thunder.Â
Hurricane by John Rocco
Stunning art invites you into the young boy’s world — particularly, his favorite place on a doc where he can swim, fish, or watch minnows. But after a hurricane, it’s destroyed — just like much of his neighborhood. The neighbors must work together to clean up and rebuild their homes and the boy’s special spot– the dock, a place that becomes a special place for the entire community.
The Coquies Still Sings:Â A Story of Home, Hope and Rebuilding by Karina Nicole Gonzalez, illustrations by Krystal Quiles
A singing frog lives in their mango tree. But when a hurricane destroys Elana’s home and many other homes, the frog is gone, and so are a lot of other things. Elana helps her family and friends rebuild. Months later, her home looks different, green buds sprout on the mango tree, and she hears a frog’s song CO-QUI, CO-QUI. The song brings joy and a feeling of home.
Books About Hot, Sunny Weather
 
Sun by Sam Usher
On a very hot day, Sam and Grandad make a picnic and set off to find the perfect spot...I love the repeating language that builds tension in the story. “So Granddad navigated and I looked out. /  I said, “What about this way, Granddad?” // The sun beat down.” When the duo find the perfect spot — in a cave — it’s already taken by pirates. What will they do? Share their picnic, of course! What a great life lesson.
Books About Wind
What on Earth? Wind: Explore, Create and Investigate by Isabel Thomas, illustrated by Pau Morgan
Parents and teachers, this nonfiction book is for us to facilitate learning by reading the wind information (even myths and poems) and making the related projects (pinwheel, windsock, tornado in a bottle, sail racers) with kids. The muted colors and quiet font appeal as does the organization of information.  I really like this book! Also read: What on Earth? Water.
I Am the Wind by Michael Karg, illustrated by Sophie Diao
Lyrical text shows the wind whooshing over tundra musk ox, whistling through the highlands to a snow leopard, and whipping up a storm for a troop of chimpanzees. The wind travels the world’s terrain and visits the different animals who live there. “Bursting clumps of clouds over laughing gopher frogs, I stir the bayou bog–a puddle-slapping spree! I wake up the world. I AM THE WIND.” Use this in your poetry units or for an example of writing with sensory images, examples of personification, and vivid verbs.
Wind by Olga Fadeeva, translated by Lena Traer
I adore the design of this book, including the font, the illustrations, and the stylizations. The author starts by wondering about the wind’s fictional sources and then explains wind science in kid-friendly language. You’ll read about measuring wind in knots, how wind helps plants and animals, wind in sailing, wind power, and much more.
Books About Snow
Ten Ways to Hear Snow by Cathy Camper, illustrated by Kenard Pak
Lina walks through the snow to her Grandma’s house. As she walks, she notices the sounds of snow. Her boots on the ground sound like “snyak, snyek, snyuk.” People sweeping snow off their cars make a “swish-wish, swish-wish.” She hears the snow with things like mittens, skis, snowballs, shovels, too. When she arrives at her Grandma’s they cook together, eat, and listen to the stillness of the snow. This story’s lovely illustrations combined with the sensory images in the text give readers an immersive experience of this snowy day.
The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino
Easily understandable readers will read how snow is made from a speck to the snow crystal that falls to earth and beyond. Peaceful blue and white illustrations plus interesting information make this an enlightening winter read.
The Snow Dancer by Addie Boswell, illustrated by Merce Lopez
Snow-covers the ground while Sofia sleeps. When she wakes, she leaves the sleeping house and explores the quiet morning, leaping, twirling, crunching, and dancing a ballet in the silence. Until the other kids noisily arrive outside, too. Amidst the hubbub of the kids loudly paying, Sofia shows a little girl just what a snow dancer does…which even includes joining in a huge snowball fight. Lyrical language and beautiful illustrations celebrate a young dancer’s day in the snow.
Snow by Cynthia Rylant
Evocative imagery paints dancing pictures of snow in our minds…“The best snow is the snow that comes softly in the night, like a shy friend afraid to knock, so she thinks she’ll just wait in the yard until you see her. This is the snow that brings you peace.” Some snow falls in “fat, cheerful flakes” that sends you home early from someplace you don’t want to be like school or work. This picture book’s magical tribute to snow beautifully captures the enchantments of snowy weather.
 
When the Snow Falls by Linda Booth Sweeney, illustrated by Jana Christy
Playful poetic language invites readers into a wonderland of multigenerational, multicultural family time in the snow. “Woods hush. Fields glisten. Wren sings. We listen.” The children sled, make snow angels, watch the snowy roads, and return home to a cozy fire next to grandma and grandpa. “Cocoa warms. Mittens puddle. Day dawdles. We cuddle.” This book feels like a warm and cozy hug.
