I Am Wind
by Rachel Poliquin; illus. by Rachel Wada
Intermediate    Tundra    80 pp.
11/24    9780735272187    $19.99
e-book ed.  9780735272194    $11.99

This innovative collection of musings on wind mixes poetic expression, cultural myths, and scientific facts to describe and explain wind phenomena. Major topics include the ways winds are formed in dynamic environments such as mountains, coasts, and deserts; human interactions with wind, from experiencing a breeze to harnessing wind power; global wind patterns; and the power of cyclones, tornadoes, and erosive processes. The wind itself emotes throughout the book, using expressive language to describe, for example, the aftermath of the hot winds (called Loo) of the Himalayas: “And I think to myself, if I had not burnt the land, you would not be so happy to see the flowers and birds return.” Sections labeled “Wind Chronicles” are interspersed with the main text and relate folkloric origin stories and historical accounts of major wind events. Wada’s mixed-media illustrations echo the emotions in the text, swirling color and linear elements to depict the flow of wind and the movement of objects in its wake. Back matter includes an index of key terms and suggestions for further reading.

From the ">January/February 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.