Earthquake Alert!

Alice Kidd is an editor with The New Catalyst editorial collective in
Lillooet, B.C.

Crabtree Publishing has produced an exciting series of six books on
natural disasters. Disasters of all three kinds—weather-based,
plate-tectonics-based, and wildfire—have been on the increase in
recent years. The authors and illustrators have provided a clearly
written story of each phenomenon and its life cycle, as well as some
safety tips.

The design of each book is based on two- and four-page spreads: an
introduction and description of the phenomenon, a brief review of the
relevant science and scientists, captioned photos of several famous
events, a segment on how to stay safe, another on what happens
afterwards, and an experiment or task related to the event. There are
lots of photos and other illustrations, as well as informative sidebars
and colourful borders and titles. Each book has a table of contents, a
glossary, and an index.

I particularly liked the suggestions to make family plans for such
emergencies, particularly if you live in an area that experiences these
phenomena frequently. Parents and teachers may want to research the
utility of the “drop, cover, and hold” suggestions for earthquakes.
New research suggests that the triangle of safety technique has better
results.

The suggested experiments look interesting, particularly the house fire
plan in Wildfire Alert! Valuable additions include a section on plant
and animal adaptation to wildfire, and one on animal behaviour before an
earthquake. The lack of websites and other references for further
reading is disappointing. All six books are recommended.