When the Wind Came

If you live in Ontario, When the Wind Came by Jan Andrews and Dorothy Leung couldn’t be more timely. As we continue to clean up from the latest destructive wind storm this story reminds us about change.

The narrator in the story tells readers all about the day the winds came and destroyed her home. She was safe, her mother and father were safe, her baby brother was safe but their home was not. In the aftermath they come together to clean up and move on with teamwork and a little laughter.

Jan Andrews is conservative with her text in When the Wind Came. Her poetic, sparse retelling of a frightening day is a comfort if facing your own terrible day. Although the story feels like it’s from long ago, it is particularly timely. A reminder that change will always come. Maybe it’s through mighty wind, maybe it’s a gentle breeze but it’s never terribly easy. When we work together and try to find the laughter, perhaps the change doesn’t have to be devastating.

Dorothy Leung’s illustrations are reminiscent of the dust bowl in the 1930s. They have an antique quality but also a timelessness. She draws us into the storm with simple illustrations that are not muddied by too much detail. Simple and clean and reflective of Jan Andrews simple text.