Miss Mingo Weathers the Storm    by Jamie Harper Order:  USA  Can Candlewick, 2012 (2012) Hardcover     Reviewed by Bob Walch Join Miss Mingo and her students on a field trip up High Hill to visit the local weather station. Since it is spring, the class is about to experience a number of weather conditions as they make the climb up the steep hill. First it is going to be rather warm and some of the students, like Hippo and Panda, will be sweating buckets. Then, as they go higher, some clouds roll in and it looks like they are in for a change. 'Hey! Who's throwing marbles?' asks Cockroach. 'They're not marbles,' replies Ant. 'They're hailstones.' Then the wind gets stronger and rain begins to pelt down. My goodness, this is turning into a very interesting field trip! When the rain stops, the class climbs onto the top of High Hill where a beautiful rainbow and Ranger Russ greet them. 'I'm so happy you made it,' he says. 'We're having crazy weather today.' Then the most surprising change of all occurs. Before they can get off the hilltop, the temperature drops rapidly and it begins to snow. What a crazy day! Along with experiencing a number of climatic changes with Miss Mingo and her students, the young reader will also discover how various animals adapt to changes in the weather. For example, hippos secrete a reddish oily fluid called blood sweat when it gets too hot. The fluid functions as a skin moisturizer, water repellent and antibiotic. In hot weather pandas like to stretch out along a tree branch and dangle their legs over each side. Also, as the temperature rises, a cricket's metabolism changes and the insect chirps more. The third picture book in the Miss Mingo series, this amusing story is aimed at youngsters four years of age and older and is filled with interesting tidbits about animal habits and weather conditions. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews