WILLA AND THE WIND

A literary retelling of an old Norse tale has Willa confronting the wind after he steals her cornmeal. During each of three confrontations with the wind, Willa is given three magic objects. Each night on the way home, Willa stays at an inn, where the keeper steals each of the first two items and leaves an ordinary replacement. The final item, a magic whistle, proves to be the innkeeper’s undoing. Brilliant watercolors advance the story line and provide a vibrant and energetic setting and a translucent cloud blows through the pages. The only flaw is the portion of the text—all capital letters in a blue font—meant to indicate the wind’s role in the story; it actually serves to jolt the reader and detract from the aesthetics of the design. Nonetheless, an enjoyable read-aloud. (Fiction. 9-14)