Australia, a continent of many climates, certainly does have wild, weird and wonderful weather.
There are fires and floods, dust storms and hail storms, along with scorching hot heat, and freezing snow.
Talking about the weather is something we've all done, and probably with regularity. Perhaps that's because the weather is always with us, around us.
A quote about just that introduces a section of the book. Each section has its own relevant quote, taken from Australian newspapers, and they set the scene for what follows.
Australia's Wild Weird Wonderful Weather is packed with snippets of trivia about the weather, covering everything from coud farming and the different kinds of clouds (like the vertebratus), to extreme weather (the wettest town in Australia is Tully in Queensland with more than 4,000 mm of rain each year).
Did you know that butterflies can't use their wings when it's too cold? Or that watching spiders could help you predict rain because they change the length of the threads in their webs? You'll learn that and more by reading this book.
The impact of climate change is explored, as are some of the ways you can research weather and resources to look for.
I discovered plenty I didn't know, and young meteorologists in training, and children who want to know more about weather, will find lots of trails to follow, including using the glossary of weather words, the index, and the list of useful books and websites.
Illustrations in the book add a touch of humour with things like a hamburger (large raindrops look like hamburger buns), and a horse with a frizzy mane (showing how humidity can make curly hair change) likely to draw you in.
Australia's Wild Weird Wonderful Weather is a great book for children young and old, and would make an excellent gift.
You can download teachers' notes for Australia's Wild Weird Wonderful Weather from the National Library of Australia's website.
Title: Australia's Wild Weird Wonderful Weather
Author: Stephanie Owen Reeder
Illustrator: Tania McCartney
Publisher: National Library of Australia, $ 24.99
Publication Date: October 2020
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9780642279637
For ages: 5+
Type: Junior Non-Fiction