Wind Watchers

* “Follow a trio of children through the seasons as they ask the Wind, ‘How will you blow today?’ In spring, the brown-skinned youngsters’ dark hair dances animatedly in the breeze as ‘Wind answers with a puff of the petals, making them flutter and fall.’ The lightly personified Wind is playful, even mercurial. In summer, it might respond favorably to their pleas for ‘one big whoooshhh’ to lift their kite. Other times, Wind—who likes ‘to be WILD!’—might cause a tumultuous storm. The narration is conversational, even breezy at times. Short, frequent pops of alliteration and compelling turns of phrase feel wonderfully lyrical, such as a young skater thanking the wintry Wind ‘for the extra-looooong glide.’ Brilliant acrylic ink and intricate collage illustrations are as exuberant as the Wind. The pages are briskly busy, from an autumnal spread showing seed pods soaring as a child watches in awe to a serene, almost quiltlike image of youngsters lying languidly near a pond on a hot summer’s day, begging Wind for a cool gust. The full-bleed spreads are dynamic, featuring gloriously luminous, deeply saturated colors and breathtaking changes of perspective, such as wide eyes peeking out a window onto blurred streaks of ‘swirling snow.’ Upon reaching the satisfying last page, in which the Wind says, ‘Sometimes my work takes my breath away!’ readers will agree: ‘It takes away ours, too.’ Joyful and poetic, a tale that will delight all year long.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“In lilting words and elegant collage spreads by Caldecott Honoree Archer, three children are shown encountering the varied powers of wind across the seasons. . . . Fully developed right to the edges, tapestry-like spreads consistently offer new things to find—the interesting shadows of beach umbrellas, a distant house with its windows alight—in this captivating year-long study of an elusive, invisible force.” —Publishers Weekly

“Lyrically covers the experience of wind. . . . Season by season, [Archer] takes readers on a journey through encounters with the wind: flying a kite, watching ripples in a pond, chasing dandelion seeds, and jumping in fallen leaves. It’s a book that covers how wind is invisible, but its force blows spring petals to the ground. It makes, at times, no sound, but it wrestles with wind chimes in the evening. Archer stays true to her style, shaping a journey through steadfast inquiry and vibrant illustrations, bringing the sensory experience to life. A fresh and poetic offering for wind and weather-themed story times. Recommended for all picture book collections.” —School Library Journal