With six chapters focusing on Hurricane Harvey's beginning all the way to its continuing aftermath, this slim volume is a perfect starting point for young readers looking to learn more about hurricanes and about the damage this particular hurricane brought upon Texas, focusing especially on Harris County. Young readers will be introduced to the different wind categories, storm surges, hurricane eyewalls, and the hurricane naming system. A large section of the book focuses not only on the perils of flooding itself but also on the dangers lurking within the floodwaters and why Houston in particular is so prone to floods. The effects felt by people as well as animals are detailed, with each page containing many photographs from the disaster. Additional information summarizes Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which formed soon after Hurricane Harvey. Tips for staying safe during a hurricane, a glossary, notes, suggestions for further reading, and an index follow the text. A great start for young readers wanting to learn about hurricanes.

The devastation of 2017's Hurricane Harvey is explained, from the storm's origin to its ongoing aftermath, in this photo-heavy book.In retelling the story of how a storm got so big it caused 82 deaths and billions of dollars in damage along the Texas coast, Minneapolis-based author Felix details the science of hurricanes for those unfamiliar and unpacks why this and a series of other hurricanes made for one of the most damaging weather years on record. Although it's packed with info-boxes, a glossary, tips for safety during a hurricane and helping survivors afterward, a snapshot of five other historic hurricanes, and well-curated photos, it misses an opportunity to convey some of the emotion and pain victims endured and continue to feel. Instead, much of the text feels like a summation of news reports, an efficient attempt to answer the whys of Hurricane Harvey, with only a few direct quotations. Readers learn about Virgil Smith, a Dickinson, Texas, teen who rescued others from floodwaters with an air mattress, but the information is secondhand. The book does answer, clearly and concisely, questions a kid might have about a hurricane, such as what happens to animals at the zoo in such an emergency and how a tropical storm forms in the first place. A portion of the book's proceeds are to be donated to the Texas Library Association's Disaster Relief Fund.The photos effectively convey the scope of Harvey's impact, but while journalistically sound, this informative book doesn't capture the fear and shock those who lived through the hurricane must have felt. (Nonfiction. 9-10)