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

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.

Influenced by wildlife around her, Patti Zelch's (pronounced "Zelk") 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. A retired teacher, Patti and her husband split the year between southern Florida and North Carolina.

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! (Fall 2010), 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 Arbordale Publishing. Her studio is at her home in California, where she lives with her husband, teenage son, and one big, black cat.