Before It Was a Hurricane

A hurricane is a massive, dangerous storm. Its clouds carry trillions of gallons of water that can dump a year's worth of rain in a single day. Learn how the most massive, destructive storm on Earth forms with this inventive new series!

"Text and illustrations encourage a child’s curiosity by providing real meteorological facts while using the look and rhythm of a picture book to keep them engaged." School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

Howling wind rips away roofs and topples trees.
Rising water floods streets,
and pounding waves slam sandy beaches.

This isn't just any seaside squall. It's a ...

HURRICANE!

A hurricane isn't a surprise. It's a storm that calls ahead and lets you know it's coming. By the time a full-blown hurricane is ripping off roofs and flooding streets, scientists are on a first-name basis with it. They know its history and can trace its path across the ocean.

Before It Was a Hurricane starts at the peak of the action-the chaos and power of a hurricane at full strength-before stepping backward through time. Follow its four-thousand-mile journey from a hot desert breeze to the most destructive storm on Earth.

Includes fold-out pages to see HUGE images of a hurricane in action!

Mary Kay Carson (Author)
Mary Kay Carson is the author of more than fifty books for young people about wildlife, space, weather, nature, and history. After studying biology in college, and a stint in the Peace Corps, she began her writing career working on the classroom magazine SuperScience. Her books have received more than a dozen starred reviews, as well as multiple awards, including the 2019 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books for Alexander Graham Bell for Kids. She's written six titles in HMH's acclaimed Scientists in the Field series, including The Bat Scientists, an ALA 2011 Notable Children's Books for Middle Readers, and The Tornado Scientist, a State Library of Ohio Choose To Read Ohio (CTRO) title for 2021-22. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband in a century-old house surrounded by urban greenspace, deer, hawks, woodchucks, and songbirds. www.marykaycarson.com

Jieting Chen (Illustrator)
Jieting Chen is an illustrator, animator, and designer. With years of experience, she produced and directed several award-winning short animation. Her illustrations are strongly influenced by oriental paintings. The points of view are delicate and sensitive.