Yesterday We Had a Hurricane/ Ayer Tuvimos Un Huracan
Deirdre McLaughlin Mercier
Reviewed by Barb Radmore
As the weather becomes stronger, its devastation more horrific and tv
is able to carry it live with all its terrifying results, it has become
a strong and scary influence on our children's lives. Deirdre
McLaughlin Mercier has written a book to educate young children about
hurricanes to take some of the fear away.
From the water everywhere and candles casting shadows on the walls to
the sounds of the storm " tap tap" of the rain on the windows she
explores the sights and sounds of a hurricane. Her emphasis is on
"safe"- the grandmother coming to their house to stay safe, petting a
dog so he feels safe and the family staying safe together playing a
board game and eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Written in
both English and Spanish it will open discussion about all storms to be
able to educate children and answer their questions and fears.
The strength of the book comes from its colorful, detailed collage
illustrations, also done by Mercier, that bring the storm to life
while making it child friendly. It comes with an activity book (in
English) that provides further information and activities for the older
children. A page of lesson plan suggestions is also included. It will
be a welcome addition to all classroom's, school's and children's
reading libraries.