Tornado! (Disaster) - Softcover

Grade 4-8-This book is comprised of small black-and-white and color photos, five simplistic "experiments," four disaster data boxes, two diagrams, and a brief text. Nicolson discusses tornado formation and types, the Fujita scale, storm chasers, prediction, and safety measures to follow. Some major storms, notably the 1925 Tri-State Tornado (Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana) and those hitting Oklahoma City in 1999 and Owensboro, KY, in 2000, receive special attention in the conversational text. Christopher Lampton's Tornado (Millbrook, 1991) is more cohesive, and Stephen Kramer's Tornado (Carolrhoda, 1992) is better organized, but Nicolson's effort is a passable addition to a popular topic and will be used to pad bibliographies.
Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3-6. This oversize, abundantly illustrated introduction to tornadoes offers general information about how they form, the destruction they can cause, the scientists who study them, and devastating tornadoes of the past. Each brief chapter features instructions for a relatively easy experiment to try at home or at school to further understand the nature of the storms. The text is simple and straightforward, free of scientific jargon, and the captioned black-and-white and color photographs and illustrations, an important part of each spread, effectively support and extend the text. A brief, visually appealing introduction that will attract the same audience as Nicolson's similar Earthquake [BKL My 1 2002]. Ed Sullivan
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