Pleasure Reading Picture Book: The Cloud Book by Tomie de Paola

Title:
The Cloud Book

Bibliographic Information:
de Paola, T. (1975) The cloud book. New York: Holiday House.

Weekly Requirement:
Pleasure Reading Picture Book

Plot Description:
The Cloud Book tells a story about all the different types of clouds. It shares all of the different cloud names such as stratus clouds, cumulus clouds, and cirrus clouds, etc., and includes illustrations of each cloud. It also describes fog. It shares stories about how some societies of the past interpreted clouds, as well as the colloquial expressions we use today that involve clouds and fog. In additional to the story and the illustrations the book also includes an index.

Quantitative Reading Level:
Lexile 680

Qualitative Reading Analysis:
The purpose of the book is explicitly stated. The organization of the text is simple. The cartoon illustrations add complexity to the text because the characters in the cartoons add humor and made the text amusing as well as informative. The language is common place American English with added complexity with the use of the idioms "he's in a fog" and "her head is in the clouds". No background or life knowledge is needed to understand the text.


Content Area:
Earth Science


Maine Common Core Content Area Standard:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.2
Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.



Curriculum Suggestion:
Elementary school teachers who are teaching science units can use this book as a read-aloud to teach students about cloud and weather. Teachers can also do a hands-on project where students make their own clouds by gluing cotton balls to construction paper and listing what type of clouding they have made.