Earthquake!

Alison Mews is coordinator of the Centre for Instructional Services at
Memorial University of Newfoundland.

These two magazine-style books in the Disaster series use flashy
headlines and astonishing photographs on their covers to grab readers’
attention. This eye-catching format continues throughout the books,
where information about the natural phenomena is interspersed with more
amazing photographs, anecdotes about infamous quakes and storms,
Disaster Data boxes featuring interesting trivia and activities, and Web
sites for further exploration.

Hurricane! relies on spectacular satellite images to illustrate how
storms develop and move, and how the eye of the storm is situated in the
centre of spiraling clouds. Information about the anatomy of a
hurricane, the ways it is tracked and measured, and the destructive
power of the storm surges it unleashes is conveyed in easy-to-understand
prose and helpful illustrations. There is an interview with a
hurricane-hunter pilot, suggestions for people who live in
hurricane-prone areas, and, of course, many stories and photographs of
killer hurricanes and their terrible cost in human lives and property.

Earthquake! provides a simplistic introduction to plate tectonics and
the four ways the moving plates trigger earthquakes along their
boundaries. The text describes the seismic waves an earthquake
generates, how the strength of an earthquake is measured, and how ocean
quakes create tsunamis. The role of seismologists and rescue workers is
delineated, and survival tips are given. As in Hurricane!, sensational
stories and fascinating photos of devastating earthquakes are included.

While these books do not provide a substantial amount of information on
their topics, the overviews are well done and they will find a ready
audience in schools and libraries. Highly recommended.