Hurricanes!

by Gail Gibbons, Chris Lutkin (Narrator)

Imagine a force that can toss boats around like toys, wash away bridges, and create waves as high as eighteen feet. With fierce winds and torrential rains, hurricanes can do all of these things. They can cause tremendous damage and even change the shape of a shoreline. For centuries people did not know when a hurricane was coming. But now we have new methods to predict when and where these storms will occur. Young viewers will learn how hurricanes are formed, how they are named and classified, and what to do if a dangerous storm is on the way.

Genres: Science, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens, Environment, Education, Nature

Audio CD

First published November 1, 2009

About the author

From gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.

Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.

Reviews

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short ditty about mother nature that tosses boats around like toys, wash away bridges, and creates waves as high as eighteen feet. This is very short, I listened to it and it was only 14 minutes long.

This is for young readers that are curious about weather and I would imagine that the East and Gulf Coast would be interested in this very direct bit of info.

4 stars

Happy Reading!

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son's latest interest is wild/extreme weather. This book has good illustrations and does a good job at teaching preschoolers about hurricanes without making it scary or overwhelming/boring with too much text.

[Sojourn & Ransom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sojourn and Ransom liked the hurricane hunters! They both want to be hurricane hunters themselves.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An illustrated, informative read aloud that both my younger two boys enjoyed. We all learned a little of something we hadn't know before. We enjoyed the before and after artwork, and seeing the different ways people prepared for hurricanes to come to their homes and towns.

[Ashlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book goes into detail about the natural disaster of Hurricanes. It gives very specific information about the formation of Hurricanes and the effects of the Hurricanes on land. Also explained is the different categories of Hurricane and the different strength of each and how it is tracked. This book also provides a ‘fun fact’ section and a ‘what to do if’ section.

I absolutely love storms. This book did a great job at providing information about what the storm is and the different effects it could have if the storm reaches land. The illustrations help bring the information given to life and really help the reader better understand what the text is saying. I also appreciate the last two sections where the author tells the readers what they can do if a storm is approaching and other fun facts. Children typically will ask these sorts of questions so it is nice that it is added into the book.
Some books that could be paired with this one would be the book called Tornadoes, It’s Raining, Weather Words and What they mean, all by Gail Gibbons, if the focus was on different storms and weather. If the focus is on Hurricanes itself some books may include Hurricane by David Wiesner, Hurricane Child by Kheryn Callender, Inside Hurricanes by Mary kay Carson and If You Were a Kid Surviving a Hurricane by Josh Gregory.

Quote: “The winds are howling, the rain is pouring down, violent waves are crashing onto the shore. A dangerous spinning storm has formed over tropic waters. It is a hurricane.”

[Emily Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
This is a book about hurricanes. This book goes into detail about how a hurricane is formed and where it comes from. This book said that most hurricanes are about 100 miles to 300 hundreds miles wide. Which is absolutely insane if you think about it. This book talks about the SaffirSimpson hurricane scale and who made it and how it works. This book also talked about all the damage hurricanes can leave behind.
Like or not:
I liked this book but I did not love it. It was very informational and that is great but it didn’t keep my interest. I felt like I was just reading a textbook with colorful pictures. I learned a lot while I was reading this book though.
Classroom:
This would not be my first pick of a book to read to the class but this could be a book you use for AR points. You could ask the class to read this book then take a test for AR or you could ask the class to read this book then make them do a report or presentation over hurricanes. Either way this book has great information for a classroom setting!

[Meg Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
This book is a nonfiction book about hurricanes. It discusses what a hurricane is and where the word comes from. We learn how and where they form. We discover the different types of storms and how they impact people. Most importantly, we learn how to stay safe if we were to encounter one.
Evaluation:
I enjoyed this book. It was informative yet concise. I felt as though the author gave the readers the information needed to understand hurricanes without overloading the reader. It provides helpful tips on what to do if a student encounters a hurricane, so depending on where the students live, this might be easy for students to relate to.
Teaching Idea:
This book can be used in fourth grade when teaching weather patterns. It can be used as a read aloud at the beginning of a unit or used during a research project. It uses scientific terms and throughly explains the different hurricanes. It could also be used in younger grades to introduce the different types of weathers.

[Alora · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an easy way to tell the seriousness of hurricanes. Hurricanes are no joke. The images throughout the text were very informative of the destruction that can be done when a hurricane is present. There was a lot of information on not only hurricanes, but also geography type information. It is written in simple terms so all ages will be able to understand it to an extent.

This book is suitable for all ages of children. I thoroughly enjoyed the quick read. Overall, I rate this book 5 stars. The images and text were coordinated well!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was very informative, at least as of 2019. I liked the art work and the form that she writes in, giving term, definition, explanation, and a visual. I particularly liked the end page explaining what everyone’s hurricane plan should be. I can envision a student reading this and coming home demanding that their family create a hurricane plan, despite living somewhere like Colorado.

I think this book would be good overall for information on weather and natural disasters and also for any weather/science based lesson.

[matteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean, it's titled "Hurricanes" with an exclamation point. It was what I expected, and that's exactly what my boys wanted. Mission accomplished.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic resource on hurricanes, with colorful illustrations that draw the eye and plenty of facts to learn!

Read for our 1st grade Science unit on hurricanes.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son's favorite book about hurricanes. Very informational, but not so prosaic as to be too long to read before bedtime.

[Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hurricanes!

Year Published: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2233-3 (hardcover)

Themes/Science Topics
Earth Science

Suitable for grades: 4th-7th grade

Opening: “The winds are howling, the rain is pouring down, violent waves are crashing onto the shore. A dangerous spinning storm has formed over tropical waters. It is hurricane.”

Brief Synopsis:
This book is about how hurricanes are formed, how they are named and classified, and what to do if a dangerous storm is coming your way. It is both beautifully and accurately illustrated.

Links To Resources:
Brainstorm a list of features of hurricanes. What have they seen on TVs and news about hurricanes? How do people usually respond to the hurricanes?

Why I Like this Book:

This book fosters the development of the processes of observation and prediction. There are several points where teacher could ask students to explain what is happening in the picture, e.g. How hurricanes are formed based on these two pictures? (Formed over tropical water and cumulonimbus clouds). What are the people doing when they are involved in category 5 hurricanes? (Waiting on their roof for help, saving others through helicopters and boats). Children could be asked to predict what they think will happen on the next page, for instance “What will happen if a category 3 hurricane hit a place?” (Trees are uprooted and there are extensive damage to buildings and boats).

Also, the content in this book is appropriate and authentic. This book explains in details of how hurricanes are formed, how they are named after women, how they are classified into 5 different categories, and what should people prepare if a dangerous storm is coming. After reading this book, student could decent information about hurricane.

One special feature in this book is that it is free from gender bias. There are equal numbers of female and male characters in the book. For each page with people on it, the author makes sure both female and male characters show up evenly. I really appreciate Gail Gibbons’s special considerations of gender.

Moreover, the illustrations are beautiful and realistic drawings. All of the houses, waves, and people are represented appropriately. From these illustrations, readers could clearly get a sense of how destructive hurricane could be.

[Hailee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Gail Gibbons' books! "Hurricanes" is the second one I've read by her and once again I thought it was an amazing book for kids to read. She incorporates facts onto each page, some pages end up in a graphic novel type format. "Hurricanes" was a book about how hurricanes form, what to do in the event of a hurricane, and devastating hurricanes from the past. I think this is a good fit for an elementary classroom because depending on where you teach hurricanes can affect you. It's important for kids to know what to do in that situation as well. Even if a child won't be affected by a hurricane, it's important to start learning about them at a younger age. I would use this book for an audience of 2nd or 3rd grade. Depending on where I was teaching would affect how I would use the book. If I taught near where a hurricane may take place, I would use it as an informational guide towards the beginning of the year when it's still hurricane season. If I taught in the midwest I would use it simply as a learning tool so that my students will have an idea at least of what a hurricane is. Once again, another brilliant read by Gail Gibbons.

[Karissa Kelly]

Hurricanes! is a book on hurricanes and the way they begin, their speed, and what damage they have done. This book gives a plethora of information concerning hurricanes. For instance, hurricanes are formed over tropical waters through the build up of cumulonimbus clouds. There are five categories hurricanes fit into based on their speed, one being the least amount of damage and five being the worst amount of damage. Category five hurricanes include: the hurricane in Galveston, Hurricane Andrew, and Hurricane Katrina.

I didn't mind this book. It was extremely informational and even had vocabulary words. Personally, I wouldn't read this book for pleasure, but it would be a great research source if students were writing or learning about hurricanes. The author and illustrator, Gail Gibbons, did a wonderful job of creating an informative book that is still entertaining for children because of the amazing illustrations.

I would recommend this book. Teachers teaching on hurricanes should definitely use this book as a source because it is very accurate and it talks about devastating world events.

[Elizabeth Sciarra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book was a great way to introduce the subject of hurricanes and the different types of weather to a younger group of children. I like how it starts of with the formation of hurricanes and where and when they can form and then goes into the hurricane scale and how it was created along with who developed it. Another great part of it were the pictures that show the damage getting worse.

It gave the audience a really good sense of what a hurricane is and how it can affected the people and the nature around it. I like how Gibson takes information that can be really complex and explains it in a version where children can grasp the information and be able to clearly understand it.

Another point that was really good in the book is when it gives children step by step instructions about what to do if they were ever in a situation where a hurricane was approaching and they needed to be able to know about to do. The visuals were really great because even if you didn't read the text, you would still be able to get what the book is talking about.

[Lexi McClelland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book about hurricanes goes into much deeper detail than I had initially assumed. How a hurricane works and what happens during these storms, as well as basic information about hurricanes are discussed in the very first couple pages. After these pages, different categories of hurricanes are illustrated and explained with each page. On maps and fact boxes/captions, different famous hurricanes that have happened in the past across the globe are described and rated on which category they belong in. At the very end of the book, evacuation and safety plans are included for children to learn and be prepared for hurricanes if they ever find out that a hurricane is coming their way.
This book is a little too detailed and full of numbers that I wouldn't particularly reading aloud, at most younger grade levels, at least. However, I plan to have a weather and storms section in my classroom library and I wouldn't mind this book being in there because I think it is helpful with lots of facts about hurricanes if any student seems to ever become interested in the subject.

[Samantha Worthing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nonfiction/Twin Text Entry #4

This book is by a great nonfiction author, Gail Gibbons, who does a really good job of making nonfiction books into what seem more like storybooks. Their covers always have great illustrations to catch the eyes of little kids. This book in particular is a great way to introduce kids to the subject of hurricanes. It gives basic scientific info on what they are and what they do, examples of past hurricanes, and how to stay safe from them.

The text that I paired with this book is Hurricane! by Jonathan London. Another great children's author, this book is a picture book and is a story about a young boy who describes the experiences of his family when a hurricane hits their home on the island of Puerto Rico.

Both of these books could be used in the primary grades as a science learning tool, and would be a good way to start introducing them to the subject of different kinds of weather.

[Melissa Dwyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally rated G+ by Gail Livingstone
Hurricanes! is a very good book, for grades 2 - 6. It was written and illustrated by prolific author/artist Gail Gibbons, who has more than 50 titles to her credit. The book introduces the young reader very effectively to the subject of hurricanes. It discusses the climate induced causes of hurricanes, the characteristics and effects of hurricanes, the history of hurricane prediction, the 5 hurricane categories, important measures for hurricane preparation, and the most devastating hurricane events historically.
The illustrations are very action-filled, with vivid colors. They show the destructive effects of hurricanes quite effectively. The book doesn’t get an excellent rating, because the illustrations wash over the text in many cases, making it sometimes difficult to read. Still, nitpicking aside, it is very good overall.

[Lenae Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hurricanes is a great informative book. It tells how hurricanes are formed and what they can do the location that it hits. The book has several interesting facts. It tells about the different categories of hurricanes and what the criteria is for them. It also tells about the more severe hurricanes that have occurred in history and what to do if one is coming.

I liked the illustrations in this book. It has maps showing where hurricanes have hit and diagrams showing the rotation of how they form and move.

This book would be helpful in science class when you're talking about hurricanes. It also has precautions of what to do when a hurricane is coming so you could talk to your class about that.

[Mikayla Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells you all about hurricanes. It tells you what they are and how they form. It then goes into detail about each category of hurricanes, which range from a 1 to a 5. Next, it talks about some devastating hurricanes that have happened in the United States. Lastly it talks about how they track hurricanes and what can be done if a hurricane is coming your way.

This book was really good. I liked the illustrations and how even though they were not real pictures they can you a good idea of what would happen.

This book would be good when talking about hurricanes and storms. Especially, if you live in an area that a hurricane could hit.

[Jenny Schuth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an awesome non-fiction picture book about hurricanes. This book was all about hurricanes, the damage they cause, even the way they are rated. The pictures support the text really well with diagrams when necessary.

I loved this book and found it very informational. It was so easy to read and look at the pictures. The pictures were very helpful and supported the text when explaining how hurricanes work. I think any kid would enjoy this book and it is useful for any project on hurricanes or for research on hurricanes.

[Trang · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives really great descriptions and definitions of what a hurricane is. It gives just enough information to make it interesting for young audiences but its not overwhelming. It covers category 1-5 hurricanes and how one forms. It also covers the differences between a hurricane watch and a warning. To conclude the book, explanations are given as to how people track hurricanes and forecast them. I would use this book for informational writing or for research during a science unit.

[Katherine Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a GREAT non-fiction book about Hurricanes for young readers! Most of the text are hard facts and easy to comprehend. THe illustrations and diagrams will really intrigue children and they will learn a lot of details about hurricanes and how they affect our society. It even explains some historical events in the United States to relate it to children. Gail Gibbons does a great job engaging the reader and has many other great non-fiction picture books!

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good book by Gail Gibbons. Like her Tornadoes book, I like how the book discusses how hurricanes form, the different levels of hurricanes, a brief history of some very powerful hurricanes, and where most hurricanes occur. Nice illustrations, informative, and all the terms are clearly explained and illustrated.

[Zara Younus]

Grade 1-2 Weather and climate.

Students will be able to read about each weather and what each stage of the storm looks like. The cause and effect of each storm as well as what to do in case. Students can collect information about each type of weather in their weather notebook, so they will have a complete informational weather book at the end of the unit.

[Kaitlyn]

Hurricane is a fantastic book that describes the science behind why hurricanes happen. The pictures and visuals show wind, water, and earth is involved. It also shows the after math of what happens when the hurricane is over. I would recommend this book to a 2nd grade science class. I feel like the students would really appreciate learning about hurricanes this way.

[Kelly Whelchel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Science Grade 4 Non-Fiction Topic: Weather/hurricanes

Use when teaching about hurricanes. Split the class into groups and ave the students each take a category hurricane and do research on
them. Report back to the class.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not our favorite Gail Gibbons book. Too many numbers and facts on a page to keep my child's attention (she's 6). The illustrations were very informative though and she still learned a few things.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full of information about hurricanes, including rating system qualifications. Illustrated. Provides information about famous storms.