Paper Weathervane

Activity Below!

 

Red Sky At Night

Tundra / Penguin Random House Canada

Written and Illustrated by Elly MacKay

2018

Buy the Book

A memorable collection of weather sayings, beautifully arranged in story form and illustrated by renowned paper artist Elly MacKay.

Red sky at night, sailor's delight. And, the next morning, when the dew is on the grass, no rain will come to pass. These are the perfect conditions for a grandfather to take his grandchildren out on a fishing trip. Especially since, as the saying goes, when the wind is from the West, then the fishes bite the best. The family takes a boat out on the lake, fishing and swimming and eventually camping out on a nearby island, taking full advantage of the gorgeous weather. But the next day . . . red sky in the morning, sailors take warning! The family ventures back home just in time to avoid a rainstorm. But not to worry -- the more rain, the more rest. Fair weather's not always best.

"[T]his makes a perfect fit for primary weather units." - Starred Review, Booklist

"A curated collection of old-timey weather sayings is artfully brought to life in this exquisite informational picture book." - Starred Review, Quill & Quire

"Elly MacKay's Red Sky at Night is an ode to the natural world and human appreciation of it." - Starred Review, Shelf Awareness

Finalist for the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award - IBBY Canada

Considered for one of Horn Book’s CaldeNott Honour Books 2019

One of New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids 2018

One of Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Book Covers of 2018

Chosen for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Junior Library Guild Selection

CM Magazine - 4/4 Highly Recommended

New York Times - New Enchanting Picture Books (May, 2018)

Activity - Paper Weathervanes

  • We used black cardstock, straws, wire, tape and a base (could be anything flat) to make our weathervanes.

  • First we drew our shape with pencil. (If you are looking for a whale outline, you can find one with the book, 12 Daring Grays.)

  • We cut the shape out and attached a straw to one side, taping the top of the straw closed.

  • Next, we curved the bottom of the wire (floral wires from the dollar store) into a flat circle, leaving most of the wire long.

  • We put the straw over the straight part of the wire.

  • Then, we attached the curved part of the wire to some matte board.

  • These looked so great. The kids were really proud of them. I love this fish my son made.

  • Note: When I did this at a book event, I had some gold and silver paper that the kids covered their weathervanes with. It looked great (see whale at the top of the page). You could use aluminum foil to cover the cut-outs too.