PICTURE BOOK REVIEW: Island Storm by Brian Floca & Sydney Smith
ABOUT THE BOOK
Can you tell when a storm is coming? Can you feel the wind coming and growing? Do you hear the branches bouncing together, hear the whispers of the wind through the leaves?
Join in the journey as two siblings bear witness to the steady start, thrilling apex, and gentle end of this island storm. They’ll shelter soon, but first they want to feel it all.
Sydney Smith is the winner of the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international distinction given to authors and illustrators of children's books, and his illustrations are fantastically textured and visually spectacular. Paired with Brian Floca’s eloquent, rhythmic text, Island Storm is a multi-sensory experience that will amaze and delight readers. Children who fear thunder can take comfort in seeing it captured in the pages, while those who relish watching the sky crack open can enjoy battling this storm from the comfort of their homes.
REVIEW
The adventure to be found in the power of a thunderstorm lies at the heart of Island Storm. A brother and sister leave their home to experience the magic of an incoming storm. They head to the beach to see the wind and the waves exploding on the shoreline. They continue down the shoreline road where they see houses boarded up and a neighbor walking her dogs. They pass old war bunkers and move into town when the rain hits. They notice how empty the town feels with residents and tourists nowhere to be seen. As the storm arrives in all its glory the kids run to the safety of home. The fury of the storm makes it difficult to see their path, but together they head toward the light shining from their house. Their worried mother comes running to meet them. Floca's minimal text combined with Smith's glorious illustrations carries the readers through the arrival of the storm and its aftermath as the weather calms and the kids return to the seashore. A powerful reminder of the wonders of nature along with the comfort and safety of home. The children's curiosity leads them perhaps a bit too close to danger before they find their way home, a very human tendency. A great book to share with groups large or small that is bound to bring up memories for those who've ever experienced the power of a storm and the wonders that come with it. Highly recommended.
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