Island Storm by Brian Floca, illustrated by Sydney Smith (9780823456475)

Two siblings set off to watch a thunderstorm arrive at their island home. They walk through the forest to the beach where the waves grow bigger and crash on the shore. They pull one another onward, following the road along the water as the wind gets stronger.  They keep on going, past the lighthouse and into the empty town. The storm arrives with a Boom! And now the children head quickly back home the way they came, finally arriving to a worried adult, dry towels and light. 

Floca captures the wonder, joy and thrill of being out in a storm as we follow these two children on their adventure. Throughout, there is a sense of a building pressure from the storm that is released in a very satisfying way for the reader. Floca plays with language and structure throughout, using repetition to build the story’s drama. The illustrations by award-winning Smith are a great match to the text, creating movement across the page, embracing the growing darkness, and sharing the adventure the children are having. 

A wonderfully dramatic picture book, this one would be perfect for windy nights. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from library copy.

Seven Skies All at Once by Ted Kooser, illustrated by Matt Myers (9781536229004)

The skies overhead are changing from “freshly washed” to potential rain in this picture book by a master poet that is a celebration of clouds.The clouds change as they are reflected in glass buildings or peeked at between tall buildings. Readers will watch the storm arrive as Kooser uses child-friendly laundry metaphors for the various cloud formations and the darkness of the stormy sky. 

Kooser’s poetic skill is fully on display as he creates magic with his wording and invites children to look up and see the beauty of the skies above them whatever the clouds may be doing at the time. The illustrations by Myers pick up on the laundry theme without overplaying it, showing two children who form a connection across rooftops. 

Gorgeous words and art combine to form a beauty of a storm. Appropriate for ages 4-8.

Reviewed from library copy.

When the Dark Clouds Come by Danielle Ridolfi (9780063413344)

A hot sunny summer day is transformed when the dark clouds move in. The wind picks up making the grasses sway and picking up leaves and seeds. Rain dances and darkens the sidewalk. Then a flash and thunder. There is safety inside as the storm continues through the night. In the morning, the sun returns as the clouds leave the sky. 

Told in short lines, this poetic picture book ties nature’s storms subtly to human emotions. The language here is emotive and gorgeous while staying accessible to young readers: “thunder rolls down the stairs like a tumbling snore.” The illustrations done in digital collage capture the light, darkness and drama of the storm. 

A thunderously good picture book. Appropriate for ages 2-4.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Quill Tree Books.

when the world is puddle-wonderful by e. e. cummings, illustrated by Blanca Gómez (9781324086871)

This incredibly inviting collection of cummings poetry is pure delight. Every single poem brings a smile to the face at his masterful wordplay, willingness to chop words into pieces, and the dance of poetic structure across the page. Children will be charmed by each poem, enjoy the absurdities and playfulness of cummings’ work, and find themselves inspired to try to write some modern poems themselves. The collection moves through the year from balloons to horses to the sea to Halloween and then snow. 

The illustrations are delightfully playful as well with smiling diverse children who have a toy-like quality to them. The illustrations are bright, colorful and add to the modern feel of the book while also having a rather timeless feel, just like cummings’ poems. 

A wonderful book of wordplay and poetry. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

Reviewed from e-galley provided by Norton Young Readers.