HEAR THE WIND BLOW

Spanning several eventful days, the story begins with “a kiss of air— / a soft breath, a phantom wisp,” escalates to a “hurricane [that] comes whirling,” and culminates as neighbors work to clean up after “winds calm down. / Stillness echoes through the town.” Carefully chosen words and a varied color palette emphasize each moment. An uncluttered illustration of a suburban street in clear pastel colors is paired with “Bend an ear to the breeze— / hear the scuffling, ruffling flutter— / leaves go scuttling in the gutter.” When the storm intensifies, a midnight-blue sea buffets the seaside town and supports the lines: “Now the windstorm whips and wails— / sucks at sand and billows sails. / Shut the doors! Stay inside. / A storm approaches! You must hide.” As the story progresses, the stanzas lengthen to describe the storm’s fury, a family sheltering at home, and a community rebuilding. When the story is complete, an author’s note explains the underlying structure of the poem. “Each stanza represents, in order, one of the thirteen categories of the Beaufort wind force scale.” Additional backmatter explains the scale’s origin and provides a detailed chart listing the wind speeds, sea effects, and land effects for each category in the scale. Illustrations show a diverse community of young families; all three members of the heteronormative focal family have pale skin and straight black hair.

An artful blend of language, illustration, and science.