This handsome addition to the Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science series explains the causes and effects of droughts, how people cope with them, and the ways scientists study them. Stewart, a dependable science writer for children, discusses these topics in ways that primary-grade students can understand. Created with a pleasing palette and a sure sense of composition, Ceolin's handsome digital illustrations include a diverse cast of kids and adults living and working in varied locales. An informative double-page spread in which the text answers the question, "What is a drought?" offers before-and-after pictures of the same lakeside dock. In the first, children in bathing suits cannonball into the water and swim. In the next, during a drought, they simply stand on the dock, while below them, the receding water has left cracked clay where they used to swim. Helpful illustrations accompany the step-by-step directions for four simple, well-chosen science activities, and decorative ones accompany the appended page of tips for conserving water. A solid resource for children's science collections.

In this era of climate change (or not, depending upon which politician you listen to) comes an apropos look at droughts.Beginning with a definition of a drought, Stewart goes on to describe the kinds of signs readers might see if they are experiencing a drought in their community. Ceolin's digital illustrations have the look of watercolors and here show kids swimming in a tree-ringed blue pond on the verso while on the recto, the same kids sadly gaze at the cracked and barren bottom of the almost-empty pond, the green around the edges turned brown. A double-page spread effectively describes and illustrates the water cycle, and Stewart explains how things can disrupt regular weather patterns to produce droughts. As a drought continues, conditions worsen: there are soil erosion and dust storms; the food chain collapses as plants and animals die. Scientists study patterns to learn to predict droughts, and people can take some measures to prepare for and help alleviate drought conditions. "Did You Know" asides provide interesting facts, and activities allow readers to measurably see just how little freshwater there is on Earth, measure rain, make a cloud, and see how much water they can save during tooth-brushing. Backmatter in this Level 2 Let's Read and Find Out Science title includes a glossary, one web link, and some ways kids (and their families) can conserve water. A necessary read in today's climate. (Informational picture book. 5-9)