Startlingly realistic artwork takes readers through the water cycle. Pitter and Patter are two water droplets that fall as rain. Pitter hits an oak leaf, drips into a stream, flows through the valley to a river, through a wetland and to the ocean. Patter lands in a meadow, percolating through the soil to an underground cave’s stream and flowing into a river that meets the sea, where the two drops are reunited before a wave tosses them; they get “warmer…and lighter” until they rejoin the cloud. As the drops travel through their respective watersheds, they greet the animals they meet in each habitat. “Hello crab. / So nice to meet you, shrimp. / A happy day to you, heron.” Four pages of backmatter explain the water cycle in more detail, using solid science vocabulary and labeled diagrams. The whole package is rounded out with several activities that will bring the water cycle home to readers. But what most stands out is Morrison’s gorgeous artwork. Full-page spreads show a slice of each habitat and close-up, realistic portraits of three animals (however unrealistic it might be to see them all in such close proximity): blue jay, squirrel, crayfish, trout, cricket, bat, jellyfish, bee, etc.
An unusually striking glance at the water cycle.
–Kirkus Reviews – Vicky Smith (December 2014)
Pitter and Patter drop from a rain cloud together, then find themselves on separate journeys through two very different ecosystems. Pitter falls into a stream and makes his way past myriad creatures as he is carried into a river, through wetlands, and finally arrives at the ocean. Patter lands in a meadow where she trickles through the soil into the stream of an underground cave. That stream also flows into a river, and eventually out to sea where she is reunited with Pitter. As they bask in the warmth of the sun, they soon rejoin the gray cloud and the cycle begins again.
Once again, Dawn Publications has created a spectacular nature book for children. The illustrations come alive on the pages and are dense with critters, foliage, and activity. The science of the story is explained, clearly and in child-size doses, at the end of the book.
Let customers know that this is a standout even in Dawn Publications stellar line of entertaining and educational children’s books.
–Retailing Insight – Anna Jedrziewski (March 13, 2015)
This colorful, creative nonfiction picture book traces the travels of two raindrops, named Pitter and Patter, throughout the narrative. Each raindrop follows a different path to the ocean.
Pitter lands in the valley and follows a stream. Patter plunks down in a meadow and follows the watershed. Each raindrop meets up with appropriate animals for the ecosystem being traveled through. All the sketches are detailed. Each double page spread is a look into one particular habitat. The text is sparse, readable, and complete. Readers will spend ample time studying the illustrations to understand the differences in how and where different animals live as well as how the water is moving always toward the ocean.
Pitter and Patter meet each other when they both reach the ocean. They are warmed by the sun’s rays, evaporate and return to the gray cloud above the sky. The diagrams as well as the story inclusion of the watershed and the water cycle clearly introduce, or reinforce these basic tenets of science, and therefore, definitely fulfill the core curriculum standards of elementary science. Literacy skills of reading for information standards will also be fulfilled in classrooms from kindergarten to grade 4 wherever this book is used.
Students can learn how to write about nonfiction topics and make their own diagrams to illustrate scientific facts from experiencing this book.
–Grade Reading – Sue Poduska (Feb. 4, 2015)
Two raindrops. Pitter and Patter, fall from the sky one day and take very different paths on their way to the ocean. Pitter lands on a leaf, drips into a steam, and is carried into a valley river, past wetlands, and onto the ocean. During the long journey, Pitter happily greets all the animals in each habitat. “Hello, crayfish./Howdy snake/Best wishes for the day, mayfly” Patter tumbles into a spring meadow with similar greetings to the surrounding animals. “Hello daisy/ Good morning bee/ Rise and shine butterfly” Patter trickles into the soil and spills into an underground cave that flows int oa river, which sweeps to the ocean. There, both are reunited , become warmer, and rejoin a gray cloud. Endpapers describe the wter cycle, and offer diagrams, scientific terms, and activities for kids. Martha Sullivan’s clever story of two raindrops and Cathy Morrison’s outstanding illustrations will help kids connect wit hthe water-cycle journey, realize the importance of water to our planet, and teach good manners in the process.
–The Children’s Hour – Cheryl Garrigan (April 21, 2015)
Introduce little ones to the wonders of the natural world with a book that older siblings will enjoy as well. The expressive, yet accurate illustrations and playful text combine to create nonfiction that simultaneously entertains and educates. Youngsters learn about the water cycle as they follow the journey of two raindrops. They also have the chance to find the animals mentioned in the text, including a squirrel, caterpillar, salmon, bee, heron and seal. The backmatter is especially engaging and informative. One double-page spread of activities and additional information is geared to children, the other is designed to connect with parents and educators. This summer, you and your kids will enjoy looking for signs of evaporation, condensation and precipitation, as well as some of the featured animals.
–Washington Parent – Mary Quattlebaum (June 2015)
Pitter and Patter is an accurate and beautifully illustrated story of two falling raindrops, who greet many creatures as they fall. Written in enchanting prose-poetry narrative, “Pitter and Patter” decorates each encounter in pages filled with portraits of an otter, a dragonfly, fox, deer, hawk, snake crayfish, mayfly, and many other creatures. Pitter and Patter even find their way underground to a bat, a salamander, a cricket, and more. Finally Pitter and Patter wash into a stream that flows into a river, that sweeps them out to sea. There they meet sea creatures seal and squid and also the warm rays of the sun, which evaporate them so they float up into the sky to once again become part of the gray cloud, their old friend. “Pitter and Patter” is a vivid illustration of the water cycle in nature, ending with a two page illustrations of every step previously described in the narrative. Additional information and definitions follow, with suggested learning activities related states of matter, the water cycle, the watershed, and water habitats. Pitter and Patter is ideal nature and water education reading for children ages 4-10.
–Midwest Book Review – James A Cox (March 2015)
About the book: Take a ride with Pitter on a water cycle! You’ll go through a watershed, down, around and up again. How about going with Patter? You’ll even go underground. Oh, the places you’ll go and the creatures you’ll see. A water drop is a wonderfully adventurous thing to be!
My thoughts: This book features many concepts that older kids will find useful for school projects, such as information on the states of matter (solid, liquid and gas), the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, and precipitation), and activities that help them explore watersheds. Lots of animals are featured that might be new to children, such as a mink and a mole. It is the perfect combination of fun and learning!
–Susan Heim on Parenting – Susan Heim (Feb. 27, 2015)
In Pitter and Patter, Martha Sullivan and illustrator Cathy Morrison tell the tale of the water cycle through the journey of two water droplets, Pitter and Patter. While Pitter rains down onto an oak tree and travels through a stream, a river, and a wetland before ending up in the ocean, Patter lands in a meadow, seeps into soil, and makes his way into an cavernous stream, then a river before being swept out to sea. Friends who parted ways as they descended from the clouds meet up in the ocean and together take the journey back up into the sky. Along the way, Pitter and Patter meet all sorts of animals, from a squirrel and river otter to a turtle and squid. Concepts such as precipitation, watershed, and evaporation are taught in a fun way, with colorful and charming illustrations. And kids will have fun searching each page for Pitter and Patter are—some are more obvious than others. In the back of the book, educational resources about the water cycle are provided for teachers and parents, including a neat diagram of the water cycle featuring the habitats and animals from the story.
–Exploring Portland’s Natural Areas – Michael Barton (March 23, 2015)
Pitter lands on an oak leaf, drips into the stream below, and is on a water cycle adventure that carries him through a valley, wetland, and finally into the ocean. Along the way he meets fox and deer, dragonfly and trout. Patter lands in a meadow and percolates into the soil. His journey is different from Pitters, but eventually they both meet when they are evaporated back into the sky. There’s plenty of back matter explaining states of matter, water cycle, and water sheds, plus hands-on activities.
What I like about these books: they’re a fun way to introduce a complex topic ~ the water cycle. I always love books with back matter, especially when it includes hands-on activities with easy-to-get materials, which both books do. Beyond the book activities: there are tons of things to do besides pulling on your boots and splashing through puddles.
–Sallys Bookshelf – Sally Heavenrich (March 23, 2015)
In Martha Sullivan’s Pitter and Patter (with illustrations by Cathy Morrison), young readers or listeners can hitch a ride through the watershed with two charismatic raindrops, Pitter and Patter, as they tumble from the sky, careen off a leaf, plunge into a stream and make their way to the ocean, encountering lots of different wildlife and landscapes along the way.
–Emagazine (March 2, 2015)
Pitter and Patter is a beautifully illustrated book that is both clever and entertaining. It is perfect for teaching—a great education tool. Pitter and Patter are both charming. This story is sure to delight. Recommended!!!
–An Angels Kiss – Angel (March 2, 2015)
I have to admit the cover of Pitter and Patter tricked me. I was hoping it was going to be a story about squirrels, but I was wondering why the raindrops were so big. ha ha Following the journey of two raindrops, Pitter and Patter, this is a fun little story to introduce 4-10 year olds to the water cycle.
Once Pitter and Patter land in separate areas, we follow them along their individual journeys back to becoming part of a cloud, meeting lots of animals, insects, and more along the way. As Pitter and Patter travel down streams, through underground caves, and more, they eventually meet up again in the ocean where they turn into water vapor and head back up to the sky.
I’ve always thought learning about the water cycle was kind of fascinating and this book makes for a fun and simple way to teach children about it. It’s very straightforward and provides plenty of opportunities for expanding learning, both by talking about the story itself afterwards and with the activity suggestions provided at the end. And, if you are reading this with younger children, the illustrations are absolutely fantastic! Now that I have my own child, I’m finding that I don’t care for the illustrations in many children’s books, but I’ve previously reviewed another book Cathy Morrison has illustrated and her drawings are just so colorful and full of life!
–Mixed Bag Mama (January 2015)
Pitter and Patter by Martha Sullivan and illustrated by Cathy Morrison is a fun, adventurous book that will help you teach your children about the water cycle. Tumble from the sky, careen off a leaf, plunge into a stream as you travel through a watershed. Then take a ride with Patter—even through an underground cave. Oh, the places you’ll go and the creatures you’ll see. A water drop is a wonderfully adventurous thing to be! Following the main story is a large, attractive schematic showing both the parts of the water cycle and how each drop took different paths through the watershed.
The “Explore More” section for teachers and parents offers a very clear presentation of states of matter (“Same but Different”), the water cycle (“Around and Around”), the watershed (“Going Down!”), and water’s role in habitats and humans (“Around and Through”). For each of these concepts, which may be challenging for children to visualize, there is one or more suggested activity to help make the concepts less abstract.
–Your World Natural Blogspot – Cara Nitz (Feb. 17, 2015)
This book is about the water cycle. Take a ride with patter and tumble from the sky, careen off a leaf, and travel through a watershed. A water drop seems pretty fun. As your travel with Pitter, you learn about the water cycle and how each drop takes different paths.
We loved looking at the beautiful illustrations and identifying the animals. Impressively my son was right on almost all of them. We also counted the deer and bats. At the end of the book is an easy to understand water cycle that explains what we read.
–The Cheshire Cat’s Looking Glass (Feb. 17, 2015)
Beautiful illustrations and clever text bring the water cycle to life in a fun and engaging way, showing that the same water makes its journey from cloud to ocean again and again. This book also has great background information and interactive activities parents and educators can use to help children develop a deeper understanding of watersheds and the water cycle. Here is the perfect way to help our youngest citizens understand that water is a precious resource in need of conservation.
–Leah Miller, Clean Water Program Director, Izaak Walton (August 2014)
“This charming and beautifully illustrated story is a wonderful tool for helping children understand water’s amazing journey through the water cycle.”
–Dennis Nelson, President and CEO, Project WET Foundation (August 2014)
This is a great book! I read it with my three year old and he loved it but I can’t wait to read it with my students. It is a unique way to learn about the water cycle, animals in different habitats and even good manners 🙂 The pictures are as detailed and as realistic as you can find anywhere. Truly a great book. And as with all Dawn Publications there are many levels to learning. There is a information page in the back that provides factual details about the featured animals. With my 3 year old I skip it. But with my 7 year old, we read that every time. I’m sure I’ll be reading this at bedtime and leaving it with them to examine under the night light.
–Amazon.com (Customer Review – Erin Schade (February 2015)