Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Hurricanes
Nonfiction
For ages 5 to 7
Lerner Publications, 2008 ISBN: 978-0822579069
Many of us have heard of hurricanes but what are they? They are enormous storms which are born when warm wet air blows across an ocean. Powerful winds spin clouds into a wheel like pattern to form a tropical storm. Heavy rain falls, accompanied by lightning and thunder and as winds build, the storm becomes a hurricane. At the center of the storm spiral there is an area of calm which is called the eye.
When a hurricane reaches land people can expect high winds, enormous waves, rain, and sometimes tornadoes form. Flooding can occur and it is common for buildings and trees to be blown down or damaged.
Most hurricanes are created over the Atlantic Ocean. Those that develop in the Indian Ocean are called cyclones, and those that form over the Pacific Ocean are called typhoons.
This comprehensive and well written little book is one of the titles in the Pull Ahead Books – Forces of Nature series. In addition to describing the nature of hurricanes, the author also looks at where they occur, what happens on land when they hit, and how people try to prepare for these formidable forces of nature.
At the back of the book there are sections which contain more information about hurricanes, a glossary, an index, and a listing of books and websites which might be of interest to readers.
