What an interesting and informative kid's book! Red Sky at Night is full of weather "sayings" created thoughout the years when people did not have means to predict the weather with technology. I was surprised. My parents, especially my dad who grew up in a very agricultural area, still use some of these sayings. When the mist creeps up the hill, fishers it's time to test your skill. Reading that brought me back!

Each saying has a corresponding image that depicts a scene. I really liked the use of paper art and bright, vibrant colors used in the illustrations. I think the interesting mix of surreal and pastoral really made this book pop. There's even an informative section in the back of the book that tells a little more about each saying and whether it has validity or not.

I can see Red Sky at Night being a good choice for children interested in weather phenomenon, but also as a good story time book at a library. So glad I picked this one up!

5/5 stars

Unfortunately the ebook received via netgalley was not formatted to fix layout so it was difficult to get a true sense of this book. However the essence is there so I do believe there is a market for it, particularly with the education sector.

Elly Mackay has done it again in her newest picture book Red Sky at Night. A truly unique concept, illustrating some of the world’s most commonly used weather sayings. Her artwork in this book is so brilliant, reflecting the sky, the air, and the natural world. The detail on each page is so incredible, from the shapes in the clouds, the splashes of the leaping trout, and the mist in the air. This book makes you want to fill your backpack and head out into the woods, out onto the lake, or to the backyard to roast up some marshmallows. You will want to take every page in this book, frame it, and hang it on the wall. One of my favourite parts of the book is the debunking section at the back of the book. Mackay takes each saying and gives us the low down on how well it holds weight. After reading this book, many experiments and observations will flow from your young scientists. Red Sky at Night makes the perfect jumping off point to take your learning outside and explore the natural world. Make observations about the sky, the air, the insects, and the animals, match them to the saying and then wait and record your findings. This book is perfect to share with preschoolers and up. I am so excited about sharing this one with my gang, as I just know they are going to gobble it up.

This book is comprised of "weather sayings," some of which we have probably all heard before and others that I had never heard of. If you follow the illustrations they tell a story of a grandfather taking his grandchildren fishing. The illustrations were the best part of the book for me. They were done paper artist, Elly McKay. They were beautiful scenes and look three dimensional. The colours are soft and the illustrations are large. You can look at each page for quite awhile to see everything that is happening. When you get to the end of the book, there is information about each saying such as where it came from, who wrote it etc. Most of them are partially true and have their roots in science. This would be a great book to use in a school in various ways. It can be used in a weather unit, as an inspiration for an art lesson using paper layers and even for an english unit to write sayings, research etc. A great book for any school library.

I have collected fol sayings for years and have passed many on to my daughter and children I've worked with down the years This is a lovely book of sayings that are going to get lost if they aren't passed on, so yes, buy a copy for the kids (all ages!) and pass them on!

Red Sky at night by Elly McKay was such a quick and short picture book with amazing illustrations about weather and the techniques they used before technology and weather men. I'll honestly say that I didn't know some of the sayings and I was super impressed with the wisdom in the back if the book for more elaborate descriptions then most books. I think this an amazing book for kid especially to reach them old sayings that are being updated but can still be used. This is a great book.

Red Sky at Night by Elly MacKay was a mixed bag for me. On the plus side, the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. MacKay makes brilliant use of soft light and warm colors throughout, and some pages almost feel like they glow. It’s been a while since I’ve seen visuals that so wowed me; I just wanted to crawl right into some of the pages. Another positive is the glossary at the end, which explains how true the weather sayings are, whether or not for instance that red sky at night really is a “sailor’s delight” and denotes a good day to come. MacKay goes beyond simply saying if they make for good predictions or not and explains why, such as how dew forms more readily on clear, cold nights and thus is a good sign of good weather. The downside to the book is the prose. MacKay of course uses the sayings themselves, so she can’t be faulted if they aren’t particularly rhythmic (they’re often not) or lyrical. But the inelegance of much of the text could have been ameliorated with additional language; the beauty of the visuals really cries out for a correspondingly poetic text and here the book falls well short. That said, while it’s a large negative in my mind, the gorgeous visuals more than make up for it, and the excellent glossary tips the balance even more. It’s not an unqualified recommendation, but it’s a positive one nonetheless.

This book is good for selected audiences. It is a beautiful picture book featuring various weather sayings, such as "Red sky in morning, shepherds take warning." There isn't a plot and there aren't characters that you follow through the book. There is a saying and illustration to match the saying. At the end of the book, there is some information on how true the sayings are and why they are or why they aren't helpful.

It is probably excellent for kids who enjoy weather but aren't quite ready for longer books. It is a very pretty book, so if you want to share some fun weather lore in a nice picture book format, well, this is probably an excellent choice for you.

*thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

5 stars.
I loved this book! The illustrations are simply gorgeous! All of these weather sayings are very good. It's not often that I read an ebook and want to actually buy it in paperback or hardcover, but this one was so good that I will. It's one of those that you can treasure and pass down your family line as none of these sayings can get it dated. All age groups will enjoy this. It doesn't matter if your 10 or 110. Definitely recommend to all.

Written in rhyme, this book is a collection of "weather predictions" some of which I heard my mother say to me and some which were totally unfamiliar which is a good thing because I learned something new. You are never too old to learn brand new things I always say.

Here are a few that are included:

"Red sky at night, a sailor's delight."

"When the dew is on the grass, no rain will come to pass."

"No weather is ill if the wind be still."

"Yellow streaks in a sunset sky, wind and daylong rain are nigh."

"Whether it's cold or whether it's hot, we shall have weather, whether or not."

"Ring around the moon, rain will come soon. "

"Cats leap about and chase their tails to warn of thunderstorms and gales." Just to cite a few.

The illustrations enrich the sayings and take them to a whole new level. Elly MacKay is a paper artist extraordinaire and her crafted creations are simply beautiful. She skillfully designs family interactions around the weather patterns. The storyline is not only visually stunning but informative as well.

I am sure that kids will enjoy these catchy weather aphorisms and will put them into practise to see if they are true in the area of the world that they live in. Highly recommended.

This short picture book has handicapped itself by being the story of an old man and two children going on an overnight fishing trip, told entirely in illustration and old wives' sayings about the weather. And it really has worked to overcome that handicap very well indeed. It's a simple warm drama, as everyone enjoys camping overnight and they beat the weather back to base with some fresh fish and fresh memories, and we're left with the sayings and adages themselves to pore over on a more scientific basis at the end, which really ramps up the educational value. I have to say I learnt a heck of a lot from the artwork, too - collaged and decoupaged paper constructs, photographed as static scenes, but with all the detail and life you could wish for. Some of the spreads are seriously beautiful, meaning this weather-related book could take any child from the depths of their tower block flat and into the outside world. And all without getting wet... Lovely.

RED SKY AT NIGHT takes a look at all of the weather sayings people learn as children, such as "Red sky at night, sailors delight." I really liked the illustrations in the book, but my favorite part was that at the end, there's a section that breaks down the truth in each saying, by saying which are "true", which are "usually true", which are "questionable", and which are "true (but only in temperate zones)", as well as giving additional information. It makes it a great book for children of multiple age levels by offering that little bit extra.

This is a great children's book about old weather sayings. The watercolor artwork is beautiful throughout.

How many sayings do you know about the weather? The only ones I knew, in this book were:
<blockquote>Red Sky at Morning,
Sailers take warning
Red Sky at Night
Sailers delight.</blockquote>

And although I did not know this saying
<blockquote>If seabirds fly to land
There truly is a storm at hand</blockquote>

I was aware of this weather phenomenon, and have mentioned it many times in the past.

The illustrations are paper craft, and gorgeous, and each of the sayings, are explained at the end of the book, where it explains what each saying means, and why it works. Beautiful book to look at, and good information for children to have, because, sometimes you don't have access to the weather.com (which isn't always right for your neighborhood anyway).


Thanks to NetGalley for making this book available for an honest review.

I was immediately attracted to the beautiful cover art on Red Sky at Night. The colors are so soft, complement each other well, and seem filled with light. The human characters in the illustrations appear to be paper cut-outs, so I took a look at author/artist Elly MacKay's website to see what she shares about her artistic process. There she provides some examples of the "layers" that she builds in a theater setting to create her images -- so cool!

The text of this book is comprised of "weather sayings," some of which we have probably all heard before (such as the title). The illustrations serve as the primary narrative, and depict a grandfather taking his grandchildren on a fishing trip. Since so many weather sayings revolve around the sea, this is a fitting framework for the text, and I really love the accompanying images, especially the one with the whale!

To be honest, I was a bit skeptical of many of these sayings until I reached the end of the book and found an explanation for the scientific principles behind each one. Of course, none of them are foolproof and some may be questionable, but when you consider that these were written by people, such as farmers and fishermen, whose lives revolved so closely around the weather, it makes a lot more sense.

In short, I really enjoyed this book, and the beautiful illustrations have inspired me to check out more work by Elly MacKay.

(Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy.)

I was really astonished with the weather aphorisms in this children's book written and illustrated by Elly MacKay. Also, I like how the author presented this through narrative form that makes it very entertaining to read. In the end of the book, there's a compilation of all the weather sayings and the explanation if they are true or not. Even though that this is meant for young readers, I learned a lot from reading this and was delighted at the same time.

ARC COPY...immensely narrative about nature, and the weather along with the cultural sayings that come with it. I was immensely impressed the illustrations were literally hand crafted...it's all what looks like paper-craft. It gave a "solid" feel you it like I can almost touch the illustrations and was immersed in it.

Cute picture book with weather-related sayings. I enjoyed the demystifying of some of them at the end.