
Before It Was a Hurricane (A Nonfiction Earth Science Picture Book with Double Gatefold for Kids)
Mary Kay Carson(Author)
Little Bee Books Inc. (Publisher)
Published on 7. April 2026
Book
Hardback
32 pages
978-1-4998-1898-7 (ISBN)
Description
A hurricane is a massive, dangerous storm. Its clouds carry trillions of gallons of water that can dump a year's worth of rain in a single day. Learn how the most massive, destructive storm on Earth forms with this inventive new series!
"Text and illustrations encourage a child’s curiosity by providing real meteorological facts while using the look and rhythm of a picture book to keep them engaged." School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Howling wind rips away roofs and topples trees.
Rising water floods streets,
and pounding waves slam sandy beaches.
This isn't just any seaside squall. It's a ...
HURRICANE!
A hurricane isn't a surprise. It's a storm that calls ahead and lets you know it's coming. By the time a full-blown hurricane is ripping off roofs and flooding streets, scientists are on a first-name basis with it. They know its history and can trace its path across the ocean.
Before It Was a Hurricane starts at the peak of the action-the chaos and power of a hurricane at full strength-before stepping backward through time. Follow its four-thousand-mile journey from a hot desert breeze to the most destructive storm on Earth.
Includes fold-out pages to see HUGE images of a hurricane in action!
"Text and illustrations encourage a child’s curiosity by providing real meteorological facts while using the look and rhythm of a picture book to keep them engaged." School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Howling wind rips away roofs and topples trees.
Rising water floods streets,
and pounding waves slam sandy beaches.
This isn't just any seaside squall. It's a ...
HURRICANE!
A hurricane isn't a surprise. It's a storm that calls ahead and lets you know it's coming. By the time a full-blown hurricane is ripping off roofs and flooding streets, scientists are on a first-name basis with it. They know its history and can trace its path across the ocean.
Before It Was a Hurricane starts at the peak of the action-the chaos and power of a hurricane at full strength-before stepping backward through time. Follow its four-thousand-mile journey from a hot desert breeze to the most destructive storm on Earth.
Includes fold-out pages to see HUGE images of a hurricane in action!
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
NY
United States
Target group
Children/juvenile
US School Grade: From Preschool to Third Grade, Interest Age: From 4 to 8 years
Product notice
Picture book
Dimensions
Height: 258 mm
Width: 235 mm
Thickness: 9 mm
Weight
398 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4998-1898-7 (9781499818987)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Mary Kay Carson
Before It Was a Hurricane (A Nonfiction Earth Science Picture Book with Double Gatefold for Kids)
E-Book
04/2026
Little Bee Books
€9.88
Available for download
Persons
Mary Kay Carson is the author of more than fifty books for young people about wildlife, space, weather, nature, and history. After studying biology in college, and a stint in the Peace Corps, she began her writing career working on the classroom magazine SuperScience. Her books have received more than a dozen starred reviews, as well as multiple awards, including the 2019 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books for Alexander Graham Bell for Kids. She's written six titles in HMH's acclaimed Scientists in the Field series, including The Bat Scientists, an ALA 2011 Notable Children's Books for Middle Readers, and The Tornado Scientist, a State Library of Ohio Choose To Read Ohio (CTRO) title for 2021-22. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband in a century-old house surrounded by urban greenspace, deer, hawks, woodchucks, and songbirds. www.marykaycarson.com