WHEN THE STORM COMES

Weathering storms is best done together.

“What do you do when the clouds roll in, / When the wind chimes clang and the weather vanes spin?” the opening text asks as Yoo’s illustration focuses on rooftops, above which sea gulls wheel and leaves begin to blow. The page turn reveals two scenes as the narrative voice shifts to answer. “We watch. We sniff. We perk our ears, / and listen as the rumbling nears. / We count supplies. We check the news. / We find our comfort spot. We s n o o z e.” On verso, families of foxes and squirrels take notice of thunder while on recto, a human family breaks out candles and a flashlight as the cat sleeps, undisturbed. These parallel scenes move on through the rest of the book, sometimes on facing pages, sometimes not. The humans portrayed comprise a diverse, multiracial cast while the animals include family pets, whales, rabbits, birds, and bees (inaccurately depicted taking shelter in a paper-wasp nest). Yoo’s friendly illustrations have a soft visual texture, and while the palette darkens considerably at the height of the storm and some characters register alarm at the thunder and lightning, the art overall creates a cozy, safe feeling. Yes, Ashman’s rhythmic couplets are about a literal thunderstorm bearing down upon a coastal community, but it could well be read metaphorically as it depicts the strength found in facing challenges together.

Picture perfect whatever the weather.