Flurry, Float, and Fly!: The Story of a Snowstorm

by Laura Purdie Salas, Chiara Fedele (Illustrator)

Overview

Explore the science of snow in this informative picture book with a lyrical read-aloud from award-winning author and poet Laura Purdie Salas.

Stars and columns fill the sky

with dreams to flurry, float, and fly.

When the first flakes of snow swirl toward the ground, it almost feels like magic. But in fact, it's science: a delicate process where cold air and moisture high in the sky work together to create tiny crystals that grow into sparkling snowflakes.

Laura Purdie Salas's accessible, poetic text and Chiara Fedele's breathtaking art present the science behind snow and revel in the wonder of winter weather. Follow as the weather sets the stage for a glowing, snowy morning full of flakes that flurry, float, and fly!

An author's note delves deeper into the science of snow, making the book an excellent choice for classroom lessons on weather and seasons.

There's more to explore! Also read Zap! Clap! Boom! The Story of a Thunderstorm.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547603503
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	11/11/2025
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.02(w) x 11.02(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Former teacher Laura Purdie Salas is the author of more than 130 books for kids, including Lion of the Sky, We Belong, Water Can Be…, and BookSpeak! Laura grew up in Florida, but she has lived in Minnesota all her adult life. She loves thunderstorms, snowstorms, and brainstorms. She's also a big fan of game nights, donuts, and getting up early in the morning.

Chiara Fedele is a multi-award-winning illustrator from Milan, who has won the prestigious Italian Children’s Literature Prize. She has a degree in illustration from La Scuola del Fumetto and uses a combination of traditional styles and digital work. Fedele works for publishers all around the world, and also provides illustrated storyboards for advertising companies and filmmakers. Her work includes Jason G. Duesing's The Moon Speaks and Audre Ades's The Rabbi and the Reverend.

Editorial Reviews

The fluid, rhyming text offers some basic facts about thunderstorms; the well-researched back matter presents a more detailed account . . . An informative read-aloud choice for home or classroom.” —Booklist, starred review, on ZAP! CLAP! BOOM! THE STORY OF A THUNDERSTORM

“Science collides with poetry in Zap! Clap! Boom!: The Story of a Thunderstorm, in which Laura Purdie Salas's pit-a-pat rhymes match the tempo of a rain shower.” —Shelf Awareness on ZAP! CLAP! BOOM! THE STORY OF A THUNDERSTORM

“With eye-catching art and lines that roll off the tongue, this book would be well-suited to raucous but stealthily informative science-based story hour.” —BCCB on ZAP! CLAP! BOOM! THE STORY OF A THUNDERSTORM

“Salas's onomatopoeic verse conveys both the ferocity of a thunderstorm and the wonder it can inspire; it begs to be read aloud.” —The Horn Book on ZAP! CLAP! BOOM! THE STORY OF A THUNDERSTORM

“The book is a perfect read-aloud . . . A lovely, vocabulary-stretching, story-hour gift for a cozy day.” —School Library Journal on ZAP! CLAP! BOOM! THE STORY OF A THUNDERSTORM

“The buildup and arrival of a wild thunderstorm offers both eye-widening drama and lessons in atmospheric phenomena . . . A crashing success.” —Kirkus Reviews on ZAP! CLAP! BOOM! THE STORY OF A THUNDERSTORM

From the Publisher