Little Cloud: The Science of a Hurricane

The story of a “little cloud who wanted to become a hurricane” and his journey from where he was born (the coast of Africa) to North America where he finally achieves his desire. Jam-packed with facts and cloud tid-bits on every page, the story follows the little cloud’s development from a cumulus cloud to a tropical depression, then forming into a hurricane and scaling back to another tropical depression. The illustrations are cute, cheery, and child-friendly, and showcase not only the cloud’s journey, but also the preparations of the people in the hurricane’s path. While it may be the story’s intention to not scare its child audience, both the text and the illustrations take this a little too far, with people grinning as they prepare for the hurricane to touch down in a way that belies that fear, damage, and destruction that accompanies these massive storms. The very premise of the story—a little cloud who wants to become a hurricane and his seemingly only casual concern for the people in his path—feels uncomfortable and not fully healed by the parting comment that “whatever “his next adventure would be . . . he would bring good weather to people instead.” The side facts with their thumbnail illustrations make this an excellent STEM book for teaching about the water cycle and tropical storms, but the mismatched tone with the way the subject matter is presented causes this to fall flat of its potential.

This STEM-based picture book follows the origin of a hurricane, from a little cloud to a life-threatening storm.

Follow our little cloud on an adventure through the sky and learn the science behind how it transforms from a simple cumulus cloud to a full-blown hurricane. Beautifully detailed illustrations from award-winning artist Julie McLaughlin integrate science with storytelling. Children will enjoy finding new gems of information even after several reads, thanks to a whimsical and rich layout. And meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe weaves a comprehensive narrative about a powerful weather system that’s so compelling readers won’t even realize they are on their way to becoming budding meteorologists.