On a grassy mound in southwestern Oklahoma, a herd of bison moves restlessly. The air buzzes with electricity. It lifts the fur on the backs of the bison and tingles through their feet. But Henry Rush doesn't notice anything different. He has come to the prairie wildlife refuge determined to take a photo of a prairie dog doing a back flip. The bison share the refuge with many animals, from owls to prairie dogs to elk to great blue heron. The approaching storm interrupts the day's activities and sends the animals and Henry scrambling for safety. Who will survive the flash floods and whirling funnel-shaped winds of the tornado? And who will be overcome by them? Newbery medalist Jean Craighead George describes beautifully the expanse of the prairie as well as daily life on it as the inhabitants temporarily adjust to one of nature's most powerful storms. Bob Marstall's illustrations bring to life the quiet drama of the prairie.
Author
Jean Craighead George wrote over eighty popular books for young adults, including the Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves and the Newbery Honor book My Side of the Mountain. Most of her books deal with topics related to the environment and the natural world. While she mostly wrote children's fiction, she also wrote at least two guides to cooking with wild foods, and an autobiography, Journey Inward. The mother of three children, (Twig C. George, Craig, and T. Luke George) Jean George was a grandmother who joyfully read to her grandchildren since the time they were born. Over the years Jean George kept one hundred and seventy-three pets, not including dogs and cats, in her home in Chappaqua, New York. "Most of these wild animals depart in autumn when the sun changes their behaviour and they feel the urge to migrate or go off alone. While they are with us, however, they become characters in my books, articles, and stories."
