Just So Stories

Scholastic Australia

April 2024

ISBN: 9781760264895

ISBN-10: 176026489X

RRP: $26.99

This series collaboration between these two gifted creators has undoubtedly been one of the most successful (and extensively used in classrooms around the country), over recent years.

I’m pretty sure a lot of us have been there for the ubiquitous ‘natural disasters’ unit of inquiry. Thank goodness, this series came along to help us enliven that, and bring it to life through a more emotional, personal and sensitive experience.

While we don’t usually have tornados in the same sense somewhere like the States might, we certainly do have the same phenomena, and those of us who have seen a willy-willy know that well. And I clearly remember seeing our front verandah aluminum awning ripped away during a freakish tornado-style wind event – quite the shock when you’re a kid in bed looking out your bedroom window early one morning! Australia has 30-80 reported tornadoes a year and likely more unreported in remote areas. I think that’s very possibly a statistic that many do not realise.

This rhyming text explores the main aspects, signals and dangers of a tornado. I particularly like that Jackie has included the word for this extreme weather in other languages, and for those with kiddos from different cultures it would be a great opportunity to explore mother tongues to create a multicultural anchor chart with these.

As one would fully expect Bruce’s illustrations are atmospheric and fully convey the power of a tornado, as well as the damage that can be caused. The back matter has an index arrangement of specific facts that relate to each double spread.

I’d be certainly following this up not just with that HASS work, but some STEM experiments e.g. make your own tornado. It’s also a great opportunity for making weather instruments, which was a fabulous activity for my T(h)inkerTeam group a few years ago.

Great work again Jackie and Bruce!!! A wild and woolly 5 twister rating🌪️🌪️🌪️🌪️🌪️ – it will blow you away!