Horn Book

Near the end of wintertime, the wind—personified in Doliveux’s striking illustrations as a large blue body affixed with different-colored and -textured strips of paper, depending on its changeable mood—is tired. It seeks rest in the chimney of a house, under a tree, on top of a rock, and in a country inn, but is each time chased away (“‘YOUCH!’ grumbled the tree. ‘Something icy is freezing my roots!’”). Increasingly frustrated, Wind rages, unleashing a blizzard that frightens a young girl’s little brother. The girl stands up to Wind, telling it to “STOP!” and recognizing its behavior for what it is: a temper tantrum. “Wind is acting like a tired, angry baby,” she says, and one who needs a nap. The children find an outof- the-way resting spot for Wind, and in doing so, make a friend for all seasons. Marshall’s story was inspired by a Yiddish-language tale, “The Wind Who Got Angry,” first published in 1921; while the resolution to her version isn’t entirely satisfying (why wasn’t the cave annoyed by Wind’s presence?), readers should appreciate the cleverness and problem-solving abilities of her young characters, not to mention their empathy. Some of the illustrations can be difficult to “read” through all the swirls and whirls of paper; others, such as a midnight-blue nighttime scene of the wind making its way through town and an icy-blue one showing the girl face-to-face with the wind’s wrath, are standouts.