WHEN THE WIND BLOWS

A poetic composition celebrates the power of the wind as a renewable-energy resource.

The wind can make kites fly, beach balls roll away, balloons escape and even the shapes of clouds change. But when it blows offshore and makes turbine blades spin, energy is created that “powers a station / Charging the grid / That fuels our nation.” The essential process of how wind turbines create electricity is succinctly explained in short, uneven rhyming stanzas, each beginning with the introductory line, “When the wind blows.” Acrylic illustrations are done predominantly in shades of blue to reflect water and the daytime-nighttime sky. Double-page spreads present dramatic views of these lofty structures while also providing an interesting visual explanation of the mechanics involved. With the verse “When the wind blows / Blades rotate / Turning gears / Accelerate,” a cutaway view reveals the gears inside the top of a turbine. Similarly, in the verse “When the wind blows / Copper whirls ’round / Between two magnets / High aboveground,” another internal view shows the parts mentioned. Blustery, natural beach scenes yield to spreads that focus on the turbines, naturally leading to images of the electric grid that powers modern life, from lighthouses to light-rail tracks to electric cars.

Intriguing, easily informative and even inspiring.