Carried on the Wind

September 15, 2024
A journey that begins with a puff of breath demonstrates important scientific concepts. Aiming, as Mabry explains in her afterword, to explore both our connections with the natural world and chaos theory in operation, this globe-spanning episode starts with a tan-skinned child who lives in Alaska breathing on a puff of dandelion fluff--some of which ends up in a Rufous hummingbird's nest. Eventually, one of the baby birds grows up and flies away to Central America to pollinate a coral bean flower. One resulting red seed floats over the ocean to a West African beach, where a doodlebug that nibbles on it is later eaten by a hoopoe, and so onward in a chain of natural connections and migrations that ends with a painted lady butterfly settling on the knee of that same, though older, child. Carefully explaining that though these particular encounters are made up, they are rooted in fact, the author pairs nature notes identifying species and locales in slightly smaller type to her measured, simply phrased narrative. Both are set into brightly hued, sharply detailed outdoor scenes that Jones populates with exactly rendered flora and fauna. Big ideas, delivered with quiet precision. (glossary)(Informational picture book. 6-8)

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December 30, 2024

PreS-Gr 2-A child's sigh sends a cloud of dandelion seeds on a journey, kicking off a chain of events that span the globe in this meditative picture book. Woven in poetic prose, the narrative flows from a meadow in Alaska to rivers in Central America to the savannahs of West Africa and back again. The storytelling is complemented by nature facts that are visually differentiated by font and placement on the page. This juxtaposition makes for a versatile reading experience; an adult reading aloud could choose to focus on the story, making for a soothing bedtime ritual for a very young listener. Alternatively, they could include both fact and fiction for a STEM lesson geared toward a slightly older audience. Large, vibrant illustrations give readers dazzling up-close views of hummingbirds, dragonflies, and elephants as the story unfolds. The only human character to appear is a tan-skinned little girl who appears to be native Alaskan. An author's note provides context about the natural sequence presented in the story and touches upon chaos theory. A glossary defines some of the more advanced words used in the text like "matriarch" and "pollination." VERDICT An appealing invitation to contemplate how our actions may impact the natural world, this title is a welcome addition to any picture book collection, especially where there is a demand for STEM content.-Allison Tran

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