A BOY ASKED THE WIND

Powered by legend and known by many names, the wind takes a little boy on an international odyssey.

When he notices the burnished leaves sailing toward the sky and away from a tree, the boy asks the wind, "Where is your home?" And the wind takes him. First they go west to the mountains, where the wind is called Chinook; bison pound over the ground. From there, they go to the ocean, where the swirls of the wind on the water, the Papagayo, provoke a ravenous shark. As it whooshes up Table Mountain in South Africa, the wind declares, "I am the Cape Doctor!" The trees on the slope sway in response. It sails all the way to the Middle East, where there are tanks on the streets and military skirmishes in the desert, blown by Shamal. Where else to go but the dark of the night sky? By the next morning, they are back home, the wind just a teasing zephyr. Nickel and Newland pack a lot of content into a modest space. The transitions often feel jerky, but the beautiful mixed-media illustrations are a good match for the lyrical prose. The wind is indicated with flowing ink swooshes and puffs set on a buff-colored background, while scenery and characters are painted in full color below. A glossary and an explanation of the five international names for the wind add much.

Lovely.