The Reason for the Seasons

Gr 1-4--Seasons happen everywhere on the Earth, but the reason they occur may not be as obvious as it seems. Joulia Copernicus is a scientist: she observes the world around her and investigates what she does not know until she finds the answer. Spring, summer, fall, and winter are the four primary seasons, though some places experience additional seasons depending on their location. The widespread popular belief is that seasons occur because of how close the Earth happens to be to the sun. Joulia investigates this conclusion, however, and determines that there is more to the seasons than first meets the eye. Oversize pages and vibrant illustrations immediately draw readers into the narrative. While it is filled with an abundance of information, the text is written in a way that is easily accessible to elementary school-age readers. Instead of immediately getting to the conclusion, the story progresses through incorrect opinions first and explains the fault in each one; therefore, readers directly experience the scientific process through a narrative structure. Just as a real scientist questions the assumptions of the world, Joulia gets to the bottom of the question of the seasons in an enjoyable and educational way. The final page provides a scientific experiment to show how seasons work and to help explain this concept to others. VERDICT This book will help elementary school students better understand one of the most widely recognized aspects of space science.--Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver Public Library

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

★ Seasons happen everywhere on the Earth, but the reason they occur may not be as obvious as it seems. (Scientist) Joulia... determines that there is more to the seasons than first meets the eye. Oversize pages and vibrant illustrations immediately draw readers into the narrative... (and) the text is written in a way that is easily accessible to elementary school-age readers. Just as a real scientist questions the assumptions of the world, Joulia gets to the bottom of the question of the seasons in an enjoyable and educational way. This book will help elementary school students better understand one of the most widely recognized aspects of space science. — School Library Journal, starred review

Joulia Copernicus, a young scientist in a white lab coat and safety goggles, returns to help readers learn why seasons exist. The (book's) logical structure starts with misconceptions and moves toward understanding, but it is the full-color illustrations, bristling with fun details pertaining to the seasons and anthropomorphic planetary bodies, that make this book stand out. Joulia's obvious enthusiasm, accessible language, and the use of sequential visual formats actively involve kids in thinking about scientific concepts. A breezy, information-packed, visually attractive explanation of an important elementary school science topic. — Kirkus Reviews

Scientist Joulia Copernicus takes readers around the world and into space to explain why we have seasons on Earth. Fun, expressive illustrations depict Joulia taking an active part in learning as she explains how Earth's tilt would look in space, the effects it has on different parts of the globe, and how misconceptions about Earth's seasons came to be. Readers will find Joulia's love and excitement for science contagious and might even find ideas for science fair projects as a result. An excellent and accessible introduction to the science behind Earth's seasons. — Booklist