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Hurricane
Caldecott Medalist Jason Chin charts the thrilling saga of an island community’s brush with a category three hurricane, and the cutting-edge science that helps them prepare.
It’s a beautiful day on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. But while all seems calm now, a hurricane is barreling across the Atlantic, and everyone is wondering when it will hit the U.S. coast. And where.
Night and day, meteorologists use satellites to monitor the storm. Brave pilots fly directly into the tempest, dodging lightning bolts to gather crucial data. Back on the island, families board up windows, drag furniture upstairs, and stock survival kits to prepare for what may come.
From its dramatic opening, Hurricane alternates between striking maps charting the hurricane’s progress and daily life on the island.
Hurricane is at once a fascinating view into a natural disaster and a reassuring survey of the tools we use to mitigate the damage. As climate change makes hurricanes ever more destructive, this engaging and rigorous book is perfect for classrooms, and for families making their own safety plans. Jason Chin’s breathtaking artwork and clear, compelling text make Hurricane a gripping read for all ages. At the end, find even more information about hurricanes, with visual aids for deeper understanding.
It’s a beautiful day on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. But while all seems calm now, a hurricane is barreling across the Atlantic, and everyone is wondering when it will hit the U.S. coast. And where.
Night and day, meteorologists use satellites to monitor the storm. Brave pilots fly directly into the tempest, dodging lightning bolts to gather crucial data. Back on the island, families board up windows, drag furniture upstairs, and stock survival kits to prepare for what may come.
From its dramatic opening, Hurricane alternates between striking maps charting the hurricane’s progress and daily life on the island.
Hurricane is at once a fascinating view into a natural disaster and a reassuring survey of the tools we use to mitigate the damage. As climate change makes hurricanes ever more destructive, this engaging and rigorous book is perfect for classrooms, and for families making their own safety plans. Jason Chin’s breathtaking artwork and clear, compelling text make Hurricane a gripping read for all ages. At the end, find even more information about hurricanes, with visual aids for deeper understanding.
47 pages, Library Binding
First published May 6, 2025
2 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
July 31, 2025
Read this nonfiction book for my toddler's bedtime. This book followed the Hurricane storm and all people and experts involved. Hurricane is explained day by day and the path the Hurricane travels. There is a satellite in outer space keeping us informed. There are meteorologists, hurricane specialists, and hurricane hunters analyzing the weather and alerting people the steps to take. Such as board up windows, stock up on food and drinks, tie up boats, clear out loose belongings and even evacuation. It's interesting to see what the experts and the affected people are doing to prepare for the hurricane. Readers got to see before the hurricane comes, the arrival of the hurricane, and the aftermath. Excellent story and illustrations!
Thank you Neal Porter Books and Holiday House for the opportunity to read and review!
Thank you Neal Porter Books and Holiday House for the opportunity to read and review!
April 11, 2025
more of 3.75
not my favorite of Jason Chin's work but I like the way we get the large and small view of a hurricane
not my favorite of Jason Chin's work but I like the way we get the large and small view of a hurricane
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February 16, 2026People the world over owe their lives to the weather predictions of meteorologists. This fascinating and beautifully illustrated book details the life cycle of a Hurricane headed for Cape Hatteras, one of the barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. We watch the hurricane approach the island over the course of five days and are shown the forecasters at their jobs night and day, gathering information in various ways, including the use of satellites and storm-hunting pilots who fly specially equipped planes inside the storms. There are lots of wonderful details in this book about a community in the path of destruction, coming together to help one another (keep an eye open for that stray kitty!). A great book about climate science, storm prediction and neighbors helping neighbors.
June 5, 2025
An informative and accessible picture book about hurricanes that includes a fictional depiction of a North Carolina island's preparation. With well labeled illustrations, Chin does a great job clearly explaining what is involved in a hurricane's formation and the work of hurricane trackers and forecasters to assess a storm's path and strength. Chin also balances showing the storm's progress with how a family and their neighbors prepare. The reader is both engaged in the science as well as invested in the family and stray cat making it through the hurricane. This will be a wonderful book to include in units about weather and disaster preparation. Another excellent nonfiction title by Chin!
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May 27, 2025Really interesting book about hurricanes, how they form, and how they affect the people in their path. I especially liked how he went day by day, giving just enough background science info mixed with what people were doing as the storm inched closed. Extra back matter goes more in depth with the science and further reading.
Chin always seems to find that nice balance of just enough information so that readers learn something, but are not overwhelmed.
I was very worried about the stray cat, though.
Chin always seems to find that nice balance of just enough information so that readers learn something, but are not overwhelmed.
I was very worried about the stray cat, though.
July 14, 2025
I have learned a lot from children’s nonfiction books and this one is no exception. This very accessible book gives details about hurricanes, while combining the info with a story about a community preparing for a forecasted hurricane. More detailed information is included at the end, along with other resources for more hurricane reading. As always, Jason Chin’s watercolor detailed illustrations help advance the story and add to the text.
July 19, 2025
This picture book was unique in that it has the nonfiction element of explaining hurricanes and how they are formed and move. The other part of this book is telling the narrative story of how people react to and prepare for hurricanes.
Very informational.
Very informational.
June 17, 2025
Very informative without overwhelming the kids
May 29, 2025
For the most part, I really like this book. It's informative, it highlights the role science plays in weather forecasting (why oh why are we cutting the budget for this?!), it shows how neighbors look out for each other in coastal areas. The stray cat did make me incredibly anxious; I realize *something* had to be left on the island for us to be worried about, but I skipped ahead to make sure it was okay. Also, the publisher lists this book as for ages 4-8. It's definitely too wordy for the lower age range, and while I'm grateful the author addresses the role of climate change in hurricanes in the backmatter, the rule in environmental education is no tragedies before the fourth grade. Four year olds don't need to worry about climate change. However, going by the actual text blocks in the book (as opposed to the simpler story line), I think it's presented in a suitable way for older kiddos.
January 22, 2025
Stunning, absolutely stunning - from the paintings of the Hurricane Hunter planes flying into the dark clouds of the storm, to the scenes of a community battening down the hatches on Hatteras Island. Beautifully explained, with small diagrams and big panels showing the storm track day by day. Tons of back matter on a natural phenomenon that is becoming more frequent and more intense due to global warming.
My only question - when the family evacuates the island, why did they leave the cat behind? Not cool, Jason.
My only question - when the family evacuates the island, why did they leave the cat behind? Not cool, Jason.
January 8, 2026
Severe and life-threatening weather events can be so traumatic that psychological effects linger for years, especially if those in the path of storms have lost property, pets, or family members. It is particularly frightening for children.
In an After Note to this book, award-winning author/illustrator Jason Chin explains that he wanted to help kids understand hurricanes since, on account of global warming, hurricanes are not only more frequent but more powerful, dangerous and destructive. And a lot more kids will be experiencing hurricanes directly.
He focuses on Hatteras Island, off the coast of North Carolina. While the hurricane he describes in the book is fictional, he notes that over the past century, more than 30 hurricanes have passed close to Cape Hatteras.
He describes how hurricanes are tracked by meteorologists who are hurricane specialists. He then takes readers day by day from the time of the hurricane’s prediction to its impact and aftermath. Scenes switch between the activities of island residents and those of the scientists following events.
He relates that the residents of Hatteras Island shared their experiences of hurricanes with him, and he incorporated many of their stories into the book. He also benefited from the expertise of a number of experts from the National Hurricane Center and other research departments.
Background on forecasts, wind speeds, and water and air temperatures that affect the hurricane’s formation is interpolated into the text. The residents are shown taking steps to prepare for impact, and helping neighbors to do so as well. Chin said in an interview, “The vital idea for this book is the importance of community and cooperation in the face of danger.”
Extensive back matter on the technical details of a hurricane’s structure and formation is written in a way that is engaging and suitable for a younger audience.
The illustrations, using watercolors, pen and ink, and gouache, show Chin’s usual dedication to research and scientific accuracy. His artwork is beautiful, managing to convey the strength of the storms, and the beauty of the coastlines that are assailed by them.
Discussion: Hopefully having better knowledge about hurricanes will help kids overcome some of the fears they face in weather-related disasters. It might even inspire some readers to think about studying meteorology themselves. In an interview, Chin said:
“For this book, I had the privilege of speaking with Shirley Murillo, the deputy director of NOAA’s hurricane research division and a former hurricane hunter. These heroic scientists and pilots fly into hurricanes to collect weather data, because they know it will save lives by improving forecasts. I loved learning about the innovative technology they’ve pioneered and how the team works together to complete the mission.”
But in that same interview about this book, he also revealed:
“Unfortunately, its release was timely in a way I wasn’t expecting. As Hurricane hit shelves in May 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists and meteorologists who inspired me and are featured prominently in the book as heroes were targeted for elimination by the current administration.”
Evaluation: Jason Chin’s books are unfailingly educational, engrossing, and visually rewarding. This outstanding book will make a great resource for teachers and in libraries. Parents and kids with gift certificates from the holidays might also consider purchasing this book, especially those who live in vulnerable areas.
In an After Note to this book, award-winning author/illustrator Jason Chin explains that he wanted to help kids understand hurricanes since, on account of global warming, hurricanes are not only more frequent but more powerful, dangerous and destructive. And a lot more kids will be experiencing hurricanes directly.
He focuses on Hatteras Island, off the coast of North Carolina. While the hurricane he describes in the book is fictional, he notes that over the past century, more than 30 hurricanes have passed close to Cape Hatteras.
He describes how hurricanes are tracked by meteorologists who are hurricane specialists. He then takes readers day by day from the time of the hurricane’s prediction to its impact and aftermath. Scenes switch between the activities of island residents and those of the scientists following events.
He relates that the residents of Hatteras Island shared their experiences of hurricanes with him, and he incorporated many of their stories into the book. He also benefited from the expertise of a number of experts from the National Hurricane Center and other research departments.
Background on forecasts, wind speeds, and water and air temperatures that affect the hurricane’s formation is interpolated into the text. The residents are shown taking steps to prepare for impact, and helping neighbors to do so as well. Chin said in an interview, “The vital idea for this book is the importance of community and cooperation in the face of danger.”
Extensive back matter on the technical details of a hurricane’s structure and formation is written in a way that is engaging and suitable for a younger audience.
The illustrations, using watercolors, pen and ink, and gouache, show Chin’s usual dedication to research and scientific accuracy. His artwork is beautiful, managing to convey the strength of the storms, and the beauty of the coastlines that are assailed by them.
Discussion: Hopefully having better knowledge about hurricanes will help kids overcome some of the fears they face in weather-related disasters. It might even inspire some readers to think about studying meteorology themselves. In an interview, Chin said:
“For this book, I had the privilege of speaking with Shirley Murillo, the deputy director of NOAA’s hurricane research division and a former hurricane hunter. These heroic scientists and pilots fly into hurricanes to collect weather data, because they know it will save lives by improving forecasts. I loved learning about the innovative technology they’ve pioneered and how the team works together to complete the mission.”
But in that same interview about this book, he also revealed:
“Unfortunately, its release was timely in a way I wasn’t expecting. As Hurricane hit shelves in May 2025, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists and meteorologists who inspired me and are featured prominently in the book as heroes were targeted for elimination by the current administration.”
Evaluation: Jason Chin’s books are unfailingly educational, engrossing, and visually rewarding. This outstanding book will make a great resource for teachers and in libraries. Parents and kids with gift certificates from the holidays might also consider purchasing this book, especially those who live in vulnerable areas.
July 15, 2025
It’s a beautiful day on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. But while all seems calm now, a hurricane is barreling across the Atlantic, and everyone is wondering when it will hit the U.S. coast. And where.
Jason Chin's latest takes us to one of my favorite places on Earth, Hatteras Island (off the coast of North Carolina), where the anticipation of a brewing storm in the Atlantic is building. After engaging and capturing readers’ interest with a dramatic cover depicting crashing waves against the dunes and a line of evacuating cars, Chin's opening pages feel more like an action movie trailer than an informational text reading:
"A storm is raging over the Atlantic Ocean. Its terrible winds whip up waves taller than houses. Torrents of rain pummel that water's surface. Lightning and thunder split the sky. A weather buoy measures 85 mile-per-hour winds. This is no ordinary storm. This is a..... "
HURRICANE
Now that the reader's interest is thoroughly piqued, Chin gets down to the business of educating the reader on what a hurricane is by defining a hurricane and describing the early tracking measures taken by meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center in Miami who are studying the impending storm. The countdown begins. Chin's examination of a hurricane (based on several real ones that I vividly remember) is brilliantly told in segments alternating between the pre-storm preparations of island residents and those of scientists.
On Monday, the storm forms off the coast of Africa and moves west across the Atlantic as residents warily continue with their daily activities. On Tuesday, scientists follow the storm’s path; residents begin discussing arrangements. On Wednesday, forecasters work day and night to predict the storm's track with the help of the elite Hurricane Hunters. On Thursday, the hurricane is classified as a major Category 3 storm. On Friday, the residents of Cape Hatteras rush to prepare. And so on, until Wednesday, when the climax occurs when the storm makes landfall. Chin uses short narrative descriptions and spot art to depict what is happening on shore: the rising surf, the destructive winds, the calm of the eye, and the hurricane’s return with its change in wind direction. And then it’s over, but the work has just begun. Island residents return home and help one another with the cleanup.
Chin masterfully juxtaposes the experience of people affected by the hurricane with the larger scientific context; stunning illustrations in pen and ink, watercolor, and gouache bring life to massive weather phenomena and to smaller-scale scenes. The extensive back matter offers valuable insights into storm formation, meteorology, and forecasting. An author’s note addresses concerns about the importance of the meteorological community’s work and the effects of climate change.
As a coastal Virginia native who has lived through many hurricanes, I can confirm that one of the most exciting aspects of an impending storm is tracking it, and that there is nothing more deceivingly tranquil than being in the eye of the storm. However, the most critical messaging can be found in Chin's Author Note at the end of the Novel. Suggested sources for further inquiry conclude this outstanding book, which is my favorite non-fiction text of 2025 so far.
Jason Chin's latest takes us to one of my favorite places on Earth, Hatteras Island (off the coast of North Carolina), where the anticipation of a brewing storm in the Atlantic is building. After engaging and capturing readers’ interest with a dramatic cover depicting crashing waves against the dunes and a line of evacuating cars, Chin's opening pages feel more like an action movie trailer than an informational text reading:
"A storm is raging over the Atlantic Ocean. Its terrible winds whip up waves taller than houses. Torrents of rain pummel that water's surface. Lightning and thunder split the sky. A weather buoy measures 85 mile-per-hour winds. This is no ordinary storm. This is a..... "
HURRICANE
Now that the reader's interest is thoroughly piqued, Chin gets down to the business of educating the reader on what a hurricane is by defining a hurricane and describing the early tracking measures taken by meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center in Miami who are studying the impending storm. The countdown begins. Chin's examination of a hurricane (based on several real ones that I vividly remember) is brilliantly told in segments alternating between the pre-storm preparations of island residents and those of scientists.
On Monday, the storm forms off the coast of Africa and moves west across the Atlantic as residents warily continue with their daily activities. On Tuesday, scientists follow the storm’s path; residents begin discussing arrangements. On Wednesday, forecasters work day and night to predict the storm's track with the help of the elite Hurricane Hunters. On Thursday, the hurricane is classified as a major Category 3 storm. On Friday, the residents of Cape Hatteras rush to prepare. And so on, until Wednesday, when the climax occurs when the storm makes landfall. Chin uses short narrative descriptions and spot art to depict what is happening on shore: the rising surf, the destructive winds, the calm of the eye, and the hurricane’s return with its change in wind direction. And then it’s over, but the work has just begun. Island residents return home and help one another with the cleanup.
Chin masterfully juxtaposes the experience of people affected by the hurricane with the larger scientific context; stunning illustrations in pen and ink, watercolor, and gouache bring life to massive weather phenomena and to smaller-scale scenes. The extensive back matter offers valuable insights into storm formation, meteorology, and forecasting. An author’s note addresses concerns about the importance of the meteorological community’s work and the effects of climate change.
As a coastal Virginia native who has lived through many hurricanes, I can confirm that one of the most exciting aspects of an impending storm is tracking it, and that there is nothing more deceivingly tranquil than being in the eye of the storm. However, the most critical messaging can be found in Chin's Author Note at the end of the Novel. Suggested sources for further inquiry conclude this outstanding book, which is my favorite non-fiction text of 2025 so far.
October 5, 2025
Based on several recent storms in the Cape Hatteras area, this picture book gives readers an up close look at hurricanes. The book jacket shows residents fleeing their homes before the worst of the storm, and the inside book cover illustrates the flooding, winds, and destruction unleashed by the storm. The opening pages are eye-popping--a weather buoy perched above an impossibly-high wave, and the title page is a double-page spread showing the circular formation of the hurricane with its eye clearly visible. The illustrations are stunning, rendered in pen and ink, watercolor, and gouache, massive enough to make anyone who's survived a hurricane shudder, while other readers will marvel at the hurricane's intensity. This hurricane, which is fictional, doesn't have a name, but Chin starts the daily countdown when its presence is detected by meteorologists through the next week and a half when it makes landing and then moves on. Providing glimpses of how residents of the coastal area are reacting early on and then their preparations as it moves closer gives readers an intimate, first-hand experience of those days. A couple of children find a stray cat, neighbors check on neighbors, windows are boarded up, grocery store shelves are emptied for supplies, all scenes that are captured vividly in the illustrations on the right-hand pages while the storm's path is traced on the left-hand pages. As residents either flee or batten down their hatches, the hurricane arrives, with fierce winds, pelting rain, ferocious waves, The small stray cat seen earlier manages to find a safe spot on an elevated front porch. And then, as quickly as it arrived, the hurricane deserts the area, leaving residents to clean up and rebuild. With plentiful back matter, including Sources and additional reading material, this is yet another strong title from this talented author/illustrator. In his Note, he is quick to acknowledge the effect of climate change on storms such as hurricanes as well as pointing out how communities rally together afterward. This is marvelous, immersive science with a personal touch. It's a must-have for a science classroom library.
January 1, 2026
Having lived my early years in the North Carolina coastal city of Wilmington and then remaining in central North Carolina until the present time, I can positively say that a hurricane is a storm to fear and become as knowledgeable about as possible. The destructive power generated by the wind, rain, and seas is to be feared and respected. That being said, I am pleased with the children's book Hurricane by Jason Chin and highly recommend it to all school and public libraries, personal libraries for children, and especially for any home with children within range of a possible hurricane.
In Chin's book the modern ability of profeessionals to track the process and strength of a hurricane is clearly and simply explained for children as is the destruction and power of the storm. This is a non-fiction book that will clearly educate the weather phenomenon of a hurricane as it tells the story of one hurricane's progress. The back material details particulars about hurricans in a definitive method.
The story line while explaining how a hurrican is formed, tracked, and it's destructive power also follows the location and people where the hurricane makes landfall - Hatteras Island, North Carolina, which is at the southern end of a string of barrier islands along the North Carolina coast. This location is often hit by storms, and beach houses are susceptible to being destroyed and washed out to sea. The people of Hatteras rally to prepare for the storm and evacuate the island prior to landfall. They return to their homes after the storm passes and with determination set about restoring the area.
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
In Chin's book the modern ability of profeessionals to track the process and strength of a hurricane is clearly and simply explained for children as is the destruction and power of the storm. This is a non-fiction book that will clearly educate the weather phenomenon of a hurricane as it tells the story of one hurricane's progress. The back material details particulars about hurricans in a definitive method.
The story line while explaining how a hurrican is formed, tracked, and it's destructive power also follows the location and people where the hurricane makes landfall - Hatteras Island, North Carolina, which is at the southern end of a string of barrier islands along the North Carolina coast. This location is often hit by storms, and beach houses are susceptible to being destroyed and washed out to sea. The people of Hatteras rally to prepare for the storm and evacuate the island prior to landfall. They return to their homes after the storm passes and with determination set about restoring the area.
I received a complimentary copy to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.
June 17, 2025
From the youngest reader to the oldest, this recent book by Jason Chin feels both comprehensive in the story, which follows a family on Cape Hatteras, watching weather alerts, making plans as needed, and reassuring that planning ahead for safety is what people do when a hurricane is on the way. As the story unfolds, a family waits and watches, prepping at their home as well as possible alongside others in the community who tie up boats, cover windows, and perform a myriad of other tasks to mitigate the damage that might be. Within the story, the work of weather experts, both on the ground and in the air, is demonstrated and explained. Chin's stunning artwork, as always, takes us to the Cape, making us feel as if we're right there during this worrying time for those who know they must be aware, be prepared, and perhaps even evacuate. The book is just in time for the hurricane season in the US!
Additional information can be found at the back, along with a personal note from Jason Chin.
Thanks to Neal Porter Books, a division of Holiday House, for my copy!
Additional information can be found at the back, along with a personal note from Jason Chin.
Thanks to Neal Porter Books, a division of Holiday House, for my copy!
October 31, 2025
Hurricanes can be a very intimidating and scary weather event for both adults and children. Jason Chin has taken a weather concept that many fear and combined it with a story to help readers both young and old understand all aspects of hurricane season. Meteorologists have jobs that are both challenging and exciting. Readers will see these scientists using satellites at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida to track hurricanes in real time. Their essential and life-saving information helps people along the coastlines know when it’s time to prepare for storms. Hurricane hunters have fun jobs as well! They fly directly into a storm and spend hours right in the middle of it! The book does an excellent job telling readers about the technical science of hurricanes while also showing us how these events have real impact as we follow the story of people who live on Hatteras Island in North Carolina. Chin uses digitized watercolor illustrations to tell the story, with clearly labelled maps and insets charting the storm’s progress. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
July 2, 2025
Jason Chin has knocked it out of the park again with this beautiful book about hurricanes. While the hurricane described in the book is a fictional one, all the information about how hurricanes form and how they operate is factual. He follows the development of a hurricane through the forecasting and study of the hurricane through the response of a family living on Hatteras Island, North Carolina. Gorgeous watercolor art beautifully compliments the text. The text is organized by the days leading up to the arrival of the hurricane as well as some of the aftermath. The inclusion of diagrams helps explain the science behind hurricanes and how they are created. The back matter presents more detailed information about hurricanes along with an author's note about the research and experiences related to the creation of the book. Reading suggestions and selected sources round out the back matter. A wonderful book perfect for use in the classroom or for pleasure reading for young readers curious about these incredibly powerful storms. Highly recommended.
May 9, 2025
This is a super-informative and beautifully illustrated nonfiction picture book by Jason Chin. The topic of course is hurricanes. The storyline follows the formation and path of a hurricane as it forms in the Atlantic and heads east towards North Carolina - we see the daily preparations and of everyday people along with forecasting techniques and protective planning as the hurricane approaches - and of what happens as the hurricane reaches land and eventually moves away. It is a thorough step-by-step explanation of hurricanes that is told much like a story - it is thus a book that can be both a source of information as well as a riveting tale. The artwork compliments the text extremely well. In addition there is an ample amount of backmatter that refers to the events in the story and further explains the causes and effects of one of the most destructive natural meteorological events on our planet.
January 26, 2026
Jason Chin tracks a hurricane from off the coast of Africa to north of the Caribbean islands toward the United States, Through the perspective of a community and family on Cape Hatteras. We see how the National Hurricane Center forecasts the hurricane and predicts its track. We fly with Hurricane Hunters - Pilots who fly specially equipped weather planes right in to the storm. We also see how the residents of Cape Hatteras are preparing to weather the storm, and evacuate if necessary.
I loved how the scientific information was side-by-side with the activities of the community. What a fun way to read non-fiction, it made the science so applicable. I love how many of the illustrations of the community involve phone calls from neighbors checking on each other. A great non-fiction book about Hurricanes - both the process and the impact. Includes some interesting back matter on hurricanes, including further reading and sources.
I loved how the scientific information was side-by-side with the activities of the community. What a fun way to read non-fiction, it made the science so applicable. I love how many of the illustrations of the community involve phone calls from neighbors checking on each other. A great non-fiction book about Hurricanes - both the process and the impact. Includes some interesting back matter on hurricanes, including further reading and sources.
June 9, 2025
There is a LOT of information in this book. I was surprised to find it listed for ages 5-8. I'd recommend it for 4th grade and up - even middle school. This is a hard topic to write about in a way that young students will grasp. Students studying severe weather might find the narrative paired with the informational details helpful in thinking about what happens over the course of several days as the hurricane approaches and how many people are involved in preparing for the hurricane (including loads of scientists, hurricane hunters and so forth). Chin's illustrations are engaging and the info revealed in his graphics, insets, etc. are accessible for this age.
TYPO/ERROR?? Early in the book there appears to be a typo - "Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, have been have been following this storm for days." UGH.
TYPO/ERROR?? Early in the book there appears to be a typo - "Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, have been have been following this storm for days." UGH.
August 15, 2025
Chin gives us another outstanding book on science and nature, this time on hurricanes. The story explains the science behind the formation of hurricanes, how they develop, are tracked and forecast.
Absolutely stunning illustrations bring the science to life, showing its impact on the residents of Hatteras Island as a Category Three Hurricane begins to form, travel and eventually hit the low-lying outer banks islands. Chin makes the science vividly real with these illustrations, while providing clear information about the science and the human impact of these damaging storms.
The extensive additional information included in the Back Matter adds to the reader's knowledge as well as listing more sources and suggested reading.
A perfect book for STEM classrooms and any library collection.
Absolutely stunning illustrations bring the science to life, showing its impact on the residents of Hatteras Island as a Category Three Hurricane begins to form, travel and eventually hit the low-lying outer banks islands. Chin makes the science vividly real with these illustrations, while providing clear information about the science and the human impact of these damaging storms.
The extensive additional information included in the Back Matter adds to the reader's knowledge as well as listing more sources and suggested reading.
A perfect book for STEM classrooms and any library collection.
May 28, 2025
This is the cutest book ever. It’s always nice to learn a little more about hurricanes, that I’ve experienced my entire life - and with illustrations of my own hometown! He really nailed it with the details. Houses, Businesses and People! Jason Chin is having a book signing at my local library this Thursday, and I am so excited to get him to sign my copy as a coffee table book! How often can you show your friends, this is where I went to school? This is where I worked one summer! This is where my dad docks his boat! I think it will be a fun conversation starter to pull out, and/or have as a decorative book, that I can even one day pass down to my kids. Glad I saw this book on display as I was checking out another one from the library. 📚
July 12, 2025
Accompanied by Jason Chin's phenomenal artwork, this book presents factual information on hurricanes. It looks at how they develop and the people that work hard monitoring and tracking them - trying to figure out where they are headed and the potential damage they could wreak.
Along with the factual information, Chin presents the story of a family hearing about the hurricane, preparing for it, and evacuating as the storm approaches. Chin visited the Hatteras area to research the book and was impressed with how the community worked together to take care of people.
At the end of the book there is more detailed information on hurricanes along with sources and Chin's own personal observations.
Along with the factual information, Chin presents the story of a family hearing about the hurricane, preparing for it, and evacuating as the storm approaches. Chin visited the Hatteras area to research the book and was impressed with how the community worked together to take care of people.
At the end of the book there is more detailed information on hurricanes along with sources and Chin's own personal observations.
November 26, 2025
This is an excellent picture of a community weathering a hurricane, from about a week in advance to returning and starting to recover afterwards. Lots of caring for neighbors, lots of meteorologists doing different kinds of weather work. There's not a lot of emergency management in terms of calling out those people, though there are some mentions of that work happening.
There are of course simplifications in the science, but they're reasonable ones for the age level and aren't glaringly wrong.
I agree with some other reviewers that an age range of 4-8 isn't quite right here on average; I'd probably bump that by a couple of years. But it is flexible with a mix of main storyline and smaller text providing more detail, lots of backmatter, etc. Climate change is only mentioned in the backmatter, mostly in a long note at the end of the backmatter (and I think that's appropriate here).
There are of course simplifications in the science, but they're reasonable ones for the age level and aren't glaringly wrong.
I agree with some other reviewers that an age range of 4-8 isn't quite right here on average; I'd probably bump that by a couple of years. But it is flexible with a mix of main storyline and smaller text providing more detail, lots of backmatter, etc. Climate change is only mentioned in the backmatter, mostly in a long note at the end of the backmatter (and I think that's appropriate here).
May 17, 2025
👧🏻 reviews: I have always been interested to understand the process of hurricane and how it impacts and affects all of us. My mom told me that when we used to live in the mid-Atlantic area, we were always told how hurricane season would affect us. We used to hear about Hatteras Island in North Carolina and how every year the residents of the area would have to deal and evacuate during the storm season. Anyway, this book is so helpful with plenty of terminology and information. Additionally, the images have shown how much you can learn from this book. Very useful and informative about how global warming affects our environment.
June 13, 2025
Hard to know how to categorize Jason Chin’s look at a fictional hurricane striking Hatteras Island when the non-fiction information on how a hurricane forms, the ways it is studied and the science behind it is the focus. Chin provides a pretty thorough look at this weather event and does it with small chunks of text surrounded by the pen/ink, watercolor and gouache illustrations Chin is famous for. Four pages of back matter go far deeper which makes this book great for younger elementary through 6th grade. Beautiful book and highly recommended.
Thanks for sending me a finished copy for review, Holiday House.
Thanks for sending me a finished copy for review, Holiday House.
June 24, 2025
Author/illustrator Jason Chin takes us slowly, carefully through the first sighting of a hurricane to its approach to land to people's preparations for the storm to the hurricane's arrival to the aftermath of the storm.
Everything related to a hurricane is explained and depicted in a systematic way, giving children facts to understand the storm and suggesting good ways to handle potential storms the children may have to face.
It's a story that emphasizes checking on neighbors, helping others prepare, and assisting those who have suffered damage from the storm, and that's lovely, too.
Everything related to a hurricane is explained and depicted in a systematic way, giving children facts to understand the storm and suggesting good ways to handle potential storms the children may have to face.
It's a story that emphasizes checking on neighbors, helping others prepare, and assisting those who have suffered damage from the storm, and that's lovely, too.
July 24, 2025
Hurricane (2025) is yet another science-based, non-fiction picture book about hurricanes, just in time for 2025's hurricane season. It does two things well--putting the yearly, but increasingly damaging crisis in a personal context, a fictional account of the community of Hatteras Island preparing for the storm and dealing with its aftermath, and then giving clear scientific information about hurricanes, the crucial need for accurate weather forecasting, and lots of reference materials and secondary sources in an elaborate appendix. So there may be other books about hurricanes for kids, but this is written and illustrated by Caldecott winner Jason Chin.
October 13, 2025
A deeply informative look at hurricanes and how climate change is affecting them, for kids. Chin selects one family with 2 young kids to follow on Hatteras Island in North Carolina as a hurricane threatens and then washes over the island. Loads of brilliant back matter, but the text itself is the star, with a clear, calm and scientific voice sharing a just right level of detail for interested kids to learn and ask deeper questions. This books is also a subtle and very timely cri de cœur for the critical work of the National Hurricane Center in Miami Florida and other national weather specialists. Bravo!
July 17, 2025
Fantastic exploration of hurricanes with plenty of source notes, scientific explanations, beautiful illustrations, and real-world examples. Considering the current state of our world, the author's note feels like a bit of a gut punch. He mentions how even though hurricanes can be destructive, that it is possible to stay safe with good preparation and resources. He goes on to thank meteorologists for their tireless efforts in making sure communities are informed and safe. Sigh. I wish this was still the case.
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