Title: It’s a Tsunami!
Author: Nadia Higgins
Illustrator: Damian Ward
Publisher: Magic Wagon
Genre: Children’s nonfiction, weather
Age level: 8-12
Themes: Weather, geology, how to protect yourself
Synopsis: Woosh! Crash! Shush! It's a tsunami! Bring the weather indoors with this brightly illustrated series. Easy-to-read text explains the how tsunamis form, how scientists track them, and the damage a tsunami can cause. Diagrams, tsunami facts, and a glossary provide additional information for use in classrooms. A perfect suppliment to your library's weather collection.
Synopsis: Woosh! Crash! Shush! It's a tsunami! Bring the weather indoors with this brightly illustrated series. Easy-to-read text explains the how tsunamis form, how scientists track them, and the damage a tsunami can cause. Diagrams, tsunami facts, and a glossary provide additional information for use in classrooms. A perfect suppliment to your library's weather collection.
About the author: Nadia Higgins is a published author and an editor of children's books and young adult books. Some of the published credits of Nadia Higgins include Electricity Is Everywhere (Science Rocks!), Moon Landing (Essential Events), Columbus and the Ages of Explorers (Events in American History), and Spanish Missions of the Old West (Events in American History).
About the illustrator: Damian Ward grew up with ideas that could barely fit in his big head and pencils he could barely fit in his tiny hands. These particular traits got him into all sorts of trouble of course, but they did eventually land him his dream job as a Children's Book Illustrator after his graduation from the Columbus College of Art and Design.
Clients include Scholastic, Harcourt, Oxford University Press, SRA, PowerHouse Books, McGraw Hill, Pearson, Scott Foresman, Soundprints, Our Own Image, Morgan Cain, Houghton Mifflin, and many others.
Damian now lives with his wife and their beautiful computers in India, where he recently moved to after enjoying an all too peaceful life in Ohio. His love of storytelling and exploring different perspectives keeps his eyes and mind constantly occupied, which thankfully, helps to keep him out of as much trouble these days.
Clients include Scholastic, Harcourt, Oxford University Press, SRA, PowerHouse Books, McGraw Hill, Pearson, Scott Foresman, Soundprints, Our Own Image, Morgan Cain, Houghton Mifflin, and many others.
Damian now lives with his wife and their beautiful computers in India, where he recently moved to after enjoying an all too peaceful life in Ohio. His love of storytelling and exploring different perspectives keeps his eyes and mind constantly occupied, which thankfully, helps to keep him out of as much trouble these days.
Pre-reading activities: Since this book can closely relate to what if going on in Japan, start off by asking the students what they know about tsunamis, and write down what they know on the board. See if the students know what is going on in Japan, as they just had a tsunami and a very destructive earthquake.
Post-reading activities: The students can write letters to the children in Japan, telling them how they feel about the events that occurred. The school could also band together to raise money for the tsunami, with the students organizing the collection.
Reflection: This book caught my eye to begin with because of what is going on in Japan recently. It is a great teaching point because on the news, they don’t always talk about how these events really happen; they just talk briefly about the big tidal wave. I liked how the book discussed ways to save lives, such as moving to higher ground.
Works Cited:
I really liked this book when we discussed it in our Literature Book Club group. I like that it gave information about tsunamis. I love your ideas about relating it to current events and also how you can incorporate a writing activity by having students write to other students in Japan which would provide a first hand account. I also think that it would be great to have a school-wide initiative like raising money. It would show students how they can contribute to society, community service, and making a difference in other's lives.
ReplyDeleteI picked this book mainly because of what just happened in Japan, but I also liked how it had simple pictures so littler kids could understand and like the book. I think this book could be used to explain to students how to be prepared for natural disasters; even though something like a tsunami probably couldn't happen where we are, it never hurts to be prepared.
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