I Am the Storm by Heidi E y Stemple, Jane Yolen, Kevin Howdeshell, Kristen Howdeshell
Published by Rise X Penguin Workshop on October 27, 2020
ISBN: 059322275X
Pages: 32
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

Comparing our behavior to nature and weather in children’s books isn’t new, but Yolen’s book brings a new face to the category. Readers are shown resilience in a tornado, a blizzard, a wildfire, and a hurricane. Most importantly, readers are shown the calm after the storm – whether the storm is outside in nature or inside ourselves: our emotions. Each natural event shows nature’s fury, and what people may do during and after the event.

Full-color, double-page spreads (done by Yolen’s daughter) helps the reader feel the expansiveness of nature’s storms.

Older fans of “Quick as a Cricket” (Audrey Wood, 1982) will quickly recognize some of the comparisons. “I Am the Storm” could be used for weather studies but  might be better used for helping youngsters understand that we can’t control the weather (or the storms of life), but we can control our reaction to it through acceptance, adaptation and perseverance.

Reviewed by Lynn Mayer, Retired Librarian, Old Town Elementary School, Old Town