Hurricane

by David Wiesner

When a storm is raging, David and George are glad to be inside the house, snug and safe. In this spectacular picture book by Caldecott Honor recipient David Wisener, a fallen tree becomes the threshold to the limitless voyage of the imagination, which David and George share as only true friends--and brothers--can.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Realistic Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 1990

About the author

During David Wiesner's formative years, the last images he saw before closing his eyes at night were the books, rockets, elephant heads, clocks, and magnifying glasses that decorated the wallpaper of his room. Perhaps it was this decor which awakened his creativity and gave it the dreamlike, imaginative quality so often found in his work.

As a child growing up in suburban New Jersey, Wiesner re-created his world daily in his imagination. His home and his neighborhood became anything from a faraway planet to a prehistoric jungle. When the everyday play stopped, he would follow his imaginary playmates into the pages of books, wandering among dinosaurs in the World Book Encyclopedia. The images before him generated a love of detail, an admiration for the creative process, and a curiosity about the hand behind the drawings.

In time, the young Wiesner began exploring the history of art, delving into the Renaissance at first — Michelangelo, Dürer, and da Vinci — then moving on to such surrealists as Magritte, de Chirico, and Dalí. As he got older, he would sit, inspired by these masters, at the oak drafting table his father had found for him and would construct new worlds on paper and create wordless comic books, such as Slop the Wonder Pig, and silent movies, like his kung fu vampire film The Saga of Butchula.

Wiesner has always been intrigued by and curious about what comes before and after the captured image. His books somehow convey the sequence of thoughts leading up to and following each picture, and that quality explain why they are frequently described as cinematic.

At the Rhode Island School of Design, Wiesner was able to commit himself to the full-time study of art and to explore further his passion for wordless storytelling. There he met two people who would figure prominently in his life: Tom Sgouros, to whom Tuesday is dedicated, and David Macaulay, to whom The Three Pigs is dedicated. These two men not only taught Wiesner the fundamentals of drawing and painting but also fostered his imaginative spirit and helped him comprehend the world around him. Sgouros's and Macaulay's artistic influences were vital to Wiesner's development into the acclaimed picture-book author he is today.

David Wiesner has illustrated more than twenty award-winning books for young readers. Two of the picture books he both wrote and illustrated became instant classics when they won the prestigious Caldecott Medal: Tuesday in 1992 and The Three Pigs in 2002. Two of his other titles, Sector 7 and Free Fall, are Caldecott Honor Books. An exhibit of Wiesner's original artwork, "Seeing the Story," toured the United States in 2000 and 2001. Among his many honors, Wiesner holds the Japan Picture Book Award for Tuesday, the Prix Sorcières (the French equivalent of the Caldecott Medal) for The Three Pigs, and a 2004 IBBY Honour Book nomination for illustration, also for The Three Pigs. Flotsam, his most recent work, was a New York Times bestseller and was recently named winner of the 2007 Caldecott Medal, making Wiesner only the second person in the award’s long history to have won three times.

Wiesner lives with his wife and their son and daughter in the Philadelphia area, where he continues to create dreamlike and inventive images for books.

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a child's book... and many people either in Florida, or who have evacuated -- friends and family across the state and around the world who have loved ones directly affected by the recent Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey just a week ago...
... many adults - children
and animals are reaching for comforts - physically and emotionally...
I know I am.
Hurricane Irma is the biggest hurricane America has ever seen....

My thoughts are with my daughter in
Saint Petersburg where the eye of the serge will be coming through later tonight or tomorrow morning...
My thoughts are also with many of my friends here on Goodreads who live in Florida --and many of my friends who have family who are still in the Tampa Bay and other parts of Florida.

The Goodreads community has been a blessing at times.... and this is one of those times.

Sending safe thoughts to all those who this relates to

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of David’s earlier works about a family who goes through a Hurricane. The 1st part of the book is a regular story about the hurricane experience. The next day there is a tree down in their yard and they play in the tree and we begin to see that imagination of David’s at work here. It’s only a few pages. This is mostly a regular story. It’s well told and it makes the imagination part of the story stand out.

The artwork is beautiful. I think David could have added some scenes of the boys imagining what was going on in the story that was sort of scary as they tried to sleep or something. It is a slower type story.

The nephew has been through a Hurricane, but he was too young to remember. He was interested in the story, but he also thought it was a bit slow. He liked the space scene when they were in the stars. He gave this book 3 stars.

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars David Wiesner's illustrations are detailed and interesting, but I must admit they are slightly creepy, they have an 80's feel to me, slightly David Hockney. The story revolves around a hurricane, a missing cat and electricity cut. The story felt like a memory, I found it interesting. A big tree comes down and the children play in it until adults spoil the fun by chainsawing it up for firewood. We had a huge willow tree fall down and it was so good for children to play on, every morning the barn owl would sit on it, and then dad came along and spoilt the fun, just like this book, so this book struck a chord with me and brought back memories of how much enjoyment a fallen tree can bring!

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wiesner is perhaps best known for his wordless picture books and I am reading a book about his approach to that. I decided to read a few of them for that purpose, including this one that is not wordless, but is inspired by an actual hurricane that he and his brother encountered.

In the story two brothers, David and George are inside, in what turns out to be a mild hurricane compared to the ones we are seeing now. This almost feels nostalgic in that respect. They are missing their cat, Hannibal, who eventually shows up. After the storm they find a favorite tree that is fallen, and they create an adventure out of the experience. It's a simple story, pretty unremarkable.

I think the story could have been told just as well or better without the words, seeing some of his other books, but the art is great as always with Wiesner. This is an earlier example of his work, from 1990.

[Agnė · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 out of 5
As always, David Wiesner's watercolor illustrations are beautiful and incredibly detailed:



And I love the part where the boys are playing safari among the branches of a fallen elm tree and "stalking the mighty leopard," i.e., their cat.

However, I wasn't too impressed by the overall story.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

2021 June 15
This is part of my 365 Kids Books challenge. For an explanation see my review for 101 Amazing Facts about Australia You can see all the books on their own shelf. Thanks to the marvelous people @chpublib and @ocplibraries who are keeping me supplied!

It’s the Wiesner binge. As I mentioned before, this was partially inspired by just looking through which picture books I had rated most highly over the years, but also given a boost in priority by Show and Tell: Exploring the Fine Art of Children's Book Illustration. To begin at the beginning, my least favorite of his books, but which is nonetheless amazing. Reading all of his books back-to-back it was easy to recognize recurring motifs. Hannibal the cat’s reaction to the storm: being left out in the rain, being dried off with a towel, those are well-observed. Wiesner is so good at capturing cats that when Hannibal is hiding out under the chair you know exactly his mood even though all you see is a bit of tail and back. Somehow it’s easier for me to relate to the cat’s in the storm than to the people. But despite the title, the storm itself isn’t really the point. The magnificent opportunities in the downed elm are brought dreamily to life.

But the book isn’t the most tightly focused and as I discovered, Wiesner is magnificent when he trusts the art to be enough. He doesn’t need words, or rarely more than a minimal number.

***

2009 April 02

The actual storm is dull and over-written for Wiesner, but the marvelous tree adventures are still worth it. Not my favorite, though.

Library

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s nearly hurricane season again. We thoroughly enjoyed this creative book.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm pretty sure this is the final solo David Wiesner book that I hadn't read yet, and I had trouble getting my hands on a copy. But I finally did! As always, stellar artwork and fantastic attention to detail. I love his imagination and creativity. More children should be exposed to his work, as well as the work of Chris Van Allsburg.

[Rebecca Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the illustrations in this book! This book could be used in geography when children are learning about natural disasters such as hurricanes. I also like how this book shows two young boys using their imagination with the Elm tree and this could potentially encourage children to explore their own imagination.

[Ana on the Shelves]

Simple but very nice book with beautiful illustrations!

[Sophia Hermosillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

- The picture book “Hurricane”, is an adventure-at home kind of story. It is not just your typical “rainy day, being bored” kind of story because of how creative these kids are. two young boys David and George are forced to stay inside their home because of a hurricane around their area. At first they’re only mission is looking for their mischievous cat when all of a sudden things start to happen. All the lights in their home begin to go out, which leads to making the best of their situation. So they sit by the fireplace along with candles and their parents, waiting for the storm to pass. Because of this hurricane storm, the adventure comes the day after. The kids go outside and find a great big tree has been knocked down on the neighbors front yard.

- This book is historical fiction because these two boys use this tree as a source of their imagination in order to travel to other lands. They use it to pretend they are in a jungle, out in sea with pirate ships, and even on another planet. This part of the book gives away how it is historical fiction because sure, while all these places exist, the reason it is fiction is because two little boys and their cat cannot travel to another planet just yet. This tree is the root of their imagination but will it stay there forever in front of the neighbors yard?

- For me, this picturebook brought back memories from my past childhood as I continued to read how imaginative the kids were. When I was little, my identical twin and I would also pretend to visit far away lands when ever we were forced to stay inside the house. Because of this similarity, by the end of reading the book I found it to feel very comforting.

- A literary element would have to be the setting of this staying at home vibe. The reader would not have gotten to see how creative these two boys can be without the setting starting off how it did, without action while the boys waited for the storm to pass.
- These characters are easy to point out. There is the mom and the dad, but still, the main focus are the two kids. This was probably written this way so that young kids who read this book could relate to going back to a time where they could not leave their house. It also gives them a sense of the creative direction next time they encounter boredom.

- A visual element would have to be the colors this book was filled with. Although the colors weren’t bright and lively they were mostly dark and under-toned colors. This to me make the pages seem even more realistic in a way, also because of all the colored shadows. An example of this in the book is both of the boys hair.
- Another visual element would have to be the very formal font and structure of the text. The text is placed opposite to the illustrations on adjacent pages as well as positioned beneath some illustrations in a few of the pages. There is no border or frame around the text or illustrations, but the text is formally shaped to fit to the side of the illustrations.

[Somona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author: David Wiesner
Genre: Picture Book
Publisher: Clarion Books
Summary: After a hurricane storm, David and George find a fallen tree in their neighbor’s yard. Using their imagination they turned the tree into a ship, spaceship, and traveled into the jungle. A couple of days later people arrived to remove the fallen tree. David and George are sad about the removal of the tree but another storm is coming and they both hope that a tree will fall in their yard this time.
Response: I liked this book because it shows how children can turn an ordinary object into various things. It shows the power of imagination.
Themes/Concept/Connection: Weather, Things found in nature

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again David Wiesner demonstrates his excellence at capturing the magic that children can find in situations that might seem commonplace. When a hurricane hits town and a huge tree is knocked down next to their house, two young boys turn it into all manner of fantastical things - a jungle, a sailing ship, a rocket, a general place to hide. This feels very true-to-life. Highly recommended for young readers.

[Sandra Couch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hurricane by David Wiesner is a story about two brothers, David and George who are forced to stay inside after their family has a power outage due to a mild hurricane. David discovers that their cat Hannibal is lost outside in the storm. Eventually the cat is found waiting at their doorstep a few pages later. After the storm the next morning, David and George find a fallen tree in their neighbors yard. Using their imaginations, they go on the adventure of a lifetime. The next morning they woke up to the sound of a loud noise coming from near the tree. What they find out ruins their entire day.

I really liked this book, I thought it was very cute and liked how Hannibal was in all the illustrations even though he wasn’t mentioned in the text. The illustration on the front cover is what drew me into the book. We see David, George and Hannibal all looking out the window as it is raining and leaves are blowing. The expression on their faces is that they are staring at something that could possibly be a hurricane. When I first started reading, I thought it was going to be about the Hannibal’s adventure in the hurricane. I wasn’t disappointed when it wasn’t, but I was left very curious as to where the cat went before George and David found him. I think this book is a valuable tool to introduce weather effects of a big rainstorm or hurricane to children.

This book uses a backdrop setting. George and David could have gone on an adventure anytime, anyplace, with anything, not just a tree specifically during a hurricane storm. For example, they could have used a chair or their beds to act as the spaceship and take them to other galaxies. Although the fact that this happens during a hurricane plays an important role in the book, it doesn’t mean that the situation can’t be moved somewhere else and have the same result.

We also see that the setting creates the mood for the story in the way that the use of colors in the illustrations are highly relied upon to designate a very specific feeling throughout the book. During the scenes of the approaching hurricane, my overall mood was feelings of anxiety and nervousness. We can see this by the use of the dark colors in all illustrations that involve the raging storm of the hurricane. I associate dark colors like black and grey with the fear that was created when I was left alone in the dark as a child. When George announces the winds are supposed to be fifty to ninety miles per hour we can picture in our mind how bad the storm is going to get. But we don’t get a visual until Wiesner vividly uses dark green, grey, and black to show the leaves, twigs, berries, and dust blowing in the air. We can also see the life-like wind blowing in the treetops. The dark colors gave me a sense of mystery in that I didn’t know what was going to happen next and that sense of suspense is created. However, when the storm subsides and the boys go on their adventure, the colors are more bright and fun. Weiser uses yellows, white, purples, reds and blues to convey an overall feeling of happiness and a carefree attitude. This author chose certain colors to convey the mood he wanted you to feel.

The plot is interesting and has a little bit of person-against-nature and person-against-person conflicts. I see person-against-nature when Hannibal gets lost in the hurricane and David and George cannot find him. Eventually Hannibal ends up on the doorstep meowing away wanting in the house. Even though we don’t hear about Hannibal again there are several other clues to suggest that he has been thru some trauma. In the scenes after the boys find Hannibal, his demeanor suggests that he is scared. We see him hiding under a piece of furniture and blanket in several pages while the hurricane is happening. Also in the front cover before the book even begins, we see him is outside under a bush and some trees in the background with the book title underlined right below this image. This suggests that the cat could have been in the height of the storm. Ironically at the end of the story, again we see the cat looking out the window to see fish swimming, suggesting that when the second storm hits maybe they were in the eye of it like David wanted to be. I also see person-against-person when George and David wake up to men cutting up their tree to use firewood. To me, this is the main conflict in the story because now they don’t have anything to act as their boat or spaceship and will have to wait until another tree gets knocked down.

[Becky Sparkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a advanced picture book that would have to be read to younger children but it has very good illustrations and would be good to link to a hurricane topic.

[Niamh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esme read this book to me as it was recommended to her.
This book was an amazing reflection of children’s imagination, especially through its illustrations. It is a lovely way of looking at the positives of what children may view as a scary experience- the good after the storm.

[Maria Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

George and his brother David are bracing themselves for the incoming hurricane. They spend the night with their family indoors waiting for the hurricane to pass. The next morning after the storm had left the boys went out to inspect the damage. They notice that one of the biggest trees had fallen down because of the strong winds and had landed in their neighbor's backyard. The boys stared at its beauty and branches and decided to let their imagination get to them. Their first stop is the safari. Then they sail the seven seas and stay on the lookout for pirates nearby. The brothers then spend their time in outer space on a make-believe spaceship enjoying the environment of the moon. Some days the boys don't let their imagination run wild and instead decide to spend time enjoying the presence of the tree. The following morning the boys were awoken by a loud chainsaw cutting up their beloved tree into tiny pieces. The brothers were upset to see this happening, but understood that the tree was in their neighbor's backyard taking up space. The story ends with the boys looking at the next biggest tree in their backyard waiting for the next storm to come by and knock over the tree so that they can go on more adventures.
David Weinser never ceases to disappoint. He does it once again with his beautiful and detailed illustrations that accompany the text. Not only are the drawings in this book a piece of art, but the plot of the story is fun an imaginative and it really brings the attention of the reader. I also liked how David Wiesner ended the story leaving the reader to imagine what would happen next with the new fallen tree. This book does a good job of capturing the imagination of young children during the early stages of their childhood.

[Matthew Watrous · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is no doubt I am a David Wiesner fan. While Hurricane does not draw on all the picture book elements we see in his later work, the art is detailed and carries the adventure in this autobiographic piece. David and George prepare for the big storm and watch as the wind makes chaos of the world outside their window. When morning finally emerges, the boys set out to access the storm damage and immediately come upon a downed tree. This enormous tree sets the stage for countless adventures that only David Wiesner mind can bring us.

The art work for the story is done with watercolor on Arches paper. Each illustration is the same size and runs across the gutter of the pages with text on the left or right. While the story can be read we see the authors true craft revealed in the detail pictures. The tree and it's many forms reveal the imagination of David Wiesner and certainly foreshadows future works such as Flotsam. This book is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the development of David Wiesner's craft.

[Helen Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

When a hurricane is approaching and a storm raging, David and George are glad to be inside the house, snug and safe. I really enjoyed the perspective of the illustrations, often seen at the boys eye level, or from below, with the light casting an impression of cosiness. I particularly loved the family scene where you can see the cats paws sticking out from under the sofa. The eye is drawn to the family due to the lighting in the illustration, but there are so many little details in the illustrations. The fallen tree in the story launches the boys imaginations, conjuring stories of the safari, sailing the seven seas and space travel - 'The tree was a private place, big enough for secret dreams, small enough for shared adventure'

Very informative about hurricane's and about preparing for such a storm. There is a lot of detail discussed in the book.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

What David Wiesner accomplishes in each of his picture books is a realism infused with scores of fantasy. In a way, it mirrors the world of children, who are of and live in reality, yet construct daydreams to explore beyond.

In Hurricane, Wiesner fictionalizes his childhood experience of a hurricane offshore and the possibilities that grow from the wreckage. I swear the illustrations breathe and move, providing a heartbeat for the power of weather, for the ache of nature destroyed, and for hope that imagination can bring to the young.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of Wiesner's books with words. It's about a hurricane that fells a tree and two brothers enjoy creatively playing with it.

Ages: 4 - 8

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[Ellie 9218 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saw this picture book at the bookstore, and picked it up to read. A timely book with recent Hurricanes Irma and Harvey.

Two brothers experience a mild hurricane. After the storm they discover an old elm tree that has fallen into the neighbor’s yard and the tree turns into a magical place.

Beautifully illustrated.

[Connie T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

According to the back flap, an early memory provided the inspiration for this story. Unfortunately, I think the title is a bit misleading because the book had very little to do with hurricanes, other than it being the reason the tree came down. I love the illustrations and the imaginative play that the boys engage in.

[Busy Mummy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always lovely illustrations by David to compliment the storyline about 2 brothers and their imaginative play. Although, I do prefer other books of David Weisner compared to Hurricane like Tuesday, Flotsam and Mr Wuffles. However, this story I feel would make a great addition for guided reading sessions at school.

[Cookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn’t really hold Matt’s attention. When I asked him how he knew the characters were imagining their adventures instead of experiencing them, he said, “they said, ‘let’s play safari’”, and looked at me like I’m an idiot for asking. So...a rather obvious book.

[Mary Overton]

Magical Realist elements in picture books -- see http://bigblogofmarvel.blogspot.com/s... Wiesner

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callie and I really enjoyed this!

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a descriptive story of the hustle and bustle of a house preparing for a hurricane.

[Lara Lleverino · Rating 3 out of 5]

David Wiesner's illustrations could take hours to look at. The imagination in his books is lovely!

[Mellanie C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story about two brothers who weather a hurricane and its aftermath. Lovely illustrations.