Tsunami Warning

by Taylor Morrison

In 2004 tsunamis in the Indian Ocean swept over entire islands, wiping some of them completely off the map and killing more than 230,000 people. Unfortunately, tsunamis like these cannot be stopped, but they can be better understood. What causes these huge waves to form? How can they be detected? And what can be done to alert people that these fast-moving waves are approaching?

As author and illustrator Taylor Morrison explains, ever since a deadly tsunami hit Hawaii in 1946, scientists have been hard at work, developing the first Seismic Sea Wave Warning System and studying these powerful waves in hopes of saving lives by decreasing false alarms and by reacting with greater speed and accuracy to real threats.

Genres: Science

28 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2007

Reviews

[Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot from this book.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I pre-write my book reviews. This one was written months before the recent Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Parents or teachers looking for away to discuss what has happened with children can use Tsunami Warning as a starting point.

The 2004 deadly tsunami that hit Indonesia inspired Taylor Morrion to write and illustrate Tsunami Warning. It begins with another deadly tsunami, the 1946 Hawaii tsunami. From that start the book tries to outline the history of tsunami studies and the set up of the tsunami warning system.

Although Tsunami Warning is a picture book, it is aimed at grades four to six. The book doesn't sugar coat the danger of tsunamis and does include numerous references to death.

Tsunami Warning can serve as an introduction to tsunamis but at thirty-two pages there isn't enough space to go into any detail. The book can be summed up as a brief recent history of tsunamis, some of the big names who have studied it and a summary of how the tsunami warning system works.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a way to talk about a specific natural disasters. It talks about the vibrations it takes to make a tsunami. It also talks about warning systems that have been built to try to save lives.