Ready, Set . . . WAIT!: What Animals Do Before a Hurricane (Arbordale Collection) - Hardcover

Patti R. Zelch

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1607180723 ISBN 13: 9781607180722

Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2010

Synopsis

Hurricane . . . just the word brings to mind the power of these natural disasters. Humans watch the news and know of impending arrival. We board up windows and gather supplies. We might huddle in our homes or go inland. Then we wait for the storm to arrive. But what do wild animals do? Do they know when a storm is coming? If so, how do they prepare? This book explains how nine animals sense, react, and prepare for a hurricane. Based on research or observations, the brief portraits are explained in simple, poetic language for children of all ages.

About this title

About the Author

Influenced by wildlife around her, Patti Zelchs stories have been published in magazines and anthologies. While preparing for a hurricane, her grandson asked her what wild animals would do during the storm. After much research, she learned that some wildlife seem to sense upcoming storms long before humans. Ready, Set... WAIT! is the result of her research and is her debut picture book. Award-winning illustrator Connie McLennan has been a freelance artist for over 25 years, since attending Academy of Art College in San Francisco. In addition to illustrating Ready, Set... WAIT!, she has also illustrated Mother Osprey: Nursery Rhymes for Buoys & Gulls, The Rainforest Grew All Around, River Beds: Sleeping in the World's Rivers, Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean, and Octavia and her Purple Ink Cloud for Sylvan Dell Publishing.

From the Back Cover

Hurricane . . . just the word brings to mind the power of these natural disasters. Humans watch the news and know of impending arrival. We board up windows and gather supplies. We might huddle in our homes or go inland. Then we wait for the storm to arrive. But what do wild animals do? Do they know when a storm is coming? If so, how do they prepare? This book explains how nine animals sense, react, and prepare for a hurricane. Based on research or observations, the brief portraits are explained in simple, poetic language for children of all ages. Animals Include: fish, dolphins, sharks, lobsters, manatees, birds, crocodiles, butterflies, and rabbits. The For Creative Minds educational section includes: Natural Disasters What is a Hurricane?, What s in a Name? & Where in the World? (Map Activity), What s in a Number? & What Can the Storm Do?, Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, and Preparing for the Storm. Additional teaching activities and interactive quizzes are available for free on the Sylvan Dell Publishing website.

Reviews

Gr 2-3–Teachers and homeschooling parents will appreciate this tidy package. It contains simple text; colorful pictures; and a raft of data, maps, diagrams, lists of storm prep for humans, and some scientific (and not-so-scientific) observations of animal behavior prior to the arrival of a hurricane. From humans stockpiling food, water, and batteries to reef fish packing in some extra calories to butterflies hiding in hollow trees, Zelch's quiet text and McLennan's realistic illustrations offer a glimpse of hurricane readiness in the natural world and our own. Adults are also directed to free online resources where they will find extra pointers, interactive quizzes, and the like to plump up their lesson plans. Useful, if uninspired.Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
© Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

As a hurricane builds at sea, people in its path gather provisions and protect their homes. Meanwhile, a little boy wonders how animals prepare for the storm. The next 10 double-page spreads show different animals protecting themselves: fish search for food, then bolt into coral grooves and caves; sharks head for deep water; seagulls move inland; butterflies shelter in rocks and hollow trees; rabbits run for their burrows. The simply written story concludes when the hurricane reaches the shore. Readers who want to know more will find a wealth of information in the appended pages on hurricanes: their prediction and measurement, where they occur throughout the world (and what they are called in each locale), barometric pressure, storm surge, how children can help prepare for a hurricane, and which animals’ behaviors in the book have been documented. The back matter includes a list of scientists and researchers consulted. Clearly written and nicely illustrated with colorful paintings, this picture book will be a useful resource in hurricane-prone areas and an appealing addition to classroom units on weather. Preschool-Grade 3. --Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1607180723
• ISBN 13: 9781607180722
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Connie McLennan
• Number of pages: 32