It Is The Wind by Ferida Wolff, illustrated by James Ransome (HarperCollins, 2005). What has caused the noise in the night? Is it the owl, the gate, the swing? What is it, really? In perfect poetry, a young boy in his farmhouse bedroom wonders, worries, and then sleeps reassured. Ages 4-up.
More Thoughts on It Is The Wind
Now I can sleep better, too! I do that. Awaken in the night to fret what might be just outside. Certainly, it must be an even bigger question to someone small, someone to whom the outside world is so huge.
It Is The Wind is a first-rate bedtime book for young minds, both anxious and creative. The text whispers, comforts, and tucks in. The art is as calming as it is evocative of the wonders of the night.
Coretta Scott King award-winner James Ransome’s decision to illustrate the protagonist as an African American boy makes this one of precious few universal (in theme) picture books featuring a character from a community historically unrepresented in children’s literature.
Cynsational News & Links
Thank you to lizgallagher (for her good wishes on my upcoming Vermont College guest-teaching gig) and Vaughn Zimmer (for her congrats on the reprint of Jingle Dancer (Morrow/HarperCollins, 2000) and paper release of Greg’s Ninjas, Piranhas, and Galileo (Little Brown, 2005)).
Hi Cynthia:
Two other picture books I really like also feature African-American children just as a matter of fact–Stella Blackstone’s “Bear on a Bike” and Kevin Lewis/Daniel Kirk’s “Chugga-chugga Choo-choo.” I love being able to read these to my youngest (who loves them both) without any commentary.
They’re like Grey’s Anatomy, but for children, of course.