Gr 2–5 —Carson is, perhaps, one of the most revered nature writers; here, her lyrical words about the sky are beautifully rendered for a young audience by McClure's pictorial interpretation. McClure, an award-winning papercut artist, uses sumo ink, black paper, and cuts to ground Carson's words in a reality children can recognize. Initially, readers are introduced to the sky and clouds, what Carson refers to as, "the writing of the wind" on the sky; they are a common backdrop for those who live in cities, but essential for those who work with nature. A stunning extended metaphor is employed to convey how the sky works. Carson explains how "the world has two oceans" and describes currents and life in the sea. Besides the "ocean of water" there is one of air, and wind currents are waves. Types of clouds, turbulence, the water cycle, and hurricanes are briefly mentioned, but the overwhelming cyclical message of nature and humanity is paramount. Dominant colors of black, white, and rich blues fill the spreads, with other colors added to emphasize scenes, say, of sunsets, leaving white rectangular space for text. An illustrator's note explains the artistic process and provides information about the source documentation for the text. This work has the potential for cross-curricula study beyond elementary grades and fosters project-based learning rooted in conservation. VERDICT Although designed for young readers, this will appeal to older audiences and is a stellar first purchase for all libraries.—Rachel Zuffa

In 1956, after a young viewer requested to see “something about the sky,” the makers of an educational TV program asked marine biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson (1907–1964) to write a segment on the subject. The resulting script, abridged into this closely observed work about “the atmospheric ocean... a place of movement and turbulence,” begins with a description of “the ocean of air” above, then moves to cloud types and the role clouds play in distributing water over the earth. Accompanying thoughtful prose that’s both lyrical and reportorial (“Without clouds, all water would remain forever in the sea”), art from McClure (What Will These Hands Make?) combines her signature cut-paper art style with washi paper and sumi ink to express the subject’s sense of movement in dynamic images of cyan blue, inky black, and stormy gray. As one page discusses how Earth’s atmosphere is shot through with the same kinds of onrushing currents that dominate the world’s oceans, an accompanying illustration marks the rhythm of the sky’s waves with swathes of deep blue that fade to white as crisp seabirds soar above. Images inspired, per a creator’s note, by the ever-changing forms of cloud and sky engage with the text’s precision while adding warmth and vividness via scenes of people experiencing the world’s wonders. It’s a fitting jumping-off place from which to contemplate “the writing of the wind on the sky”—and continue noticing the natural world. Characters’ skin tones reflect the hue of the page. Ages 5–8. (Mar.)