Kate, who tamed the wind by Liz Garton Scanlon illustrated by Lee White

"The little girl in this story made a difference with her wagon full of saplings ... They served as a windbreak, they held the dust down, and they provided shade, homes for birds and squirrels, and happiness. Yep, she made a difference ... "  Liz Garton Scanlon

Liz Garton Scanlon structures this text using repeated phrases making this an excellent book to read aloud:

The man lived all alone in the creaky house on the tip-top of a steep hill where a soft wind blew.
The man lived all alone in the creaky house where the curtains swung and chimes spun as a soft wind blew.

The wind grows stronger and chaos ensues.

The man cries out "what to do?".  A little girl, called Kate, hears his cries for help. She catches his hat which has blown down the hill.  On the back cover of this book you can see a set of plans drawn by Kate as she develops a way to solve this problem.

Here is the author web site where you can see all her books.  Here is an excellent set of teachers notes and extension ideas to use with Kate, who tamed the Wind.

The other special aspect of this book is the way the reader can see the passing of time. Trees do take time to grow. Kate and the man plant and tend the trees and as they grow tall and strong, Kate changes from a young girl into a teenager and the man's beard turns grey.  The final page of this book has some facts about trees and their importance along with some web links to explore.

I would pair this book with A forest by Marc Martin, Last Tree in the city by Peter Carnavas and Tree by Danny Parker.  You might also explore some books about the wind with a younger group of students.  You could use this book for Earth Day or National Tree Day.

The story and illustrations strike just the right notes of lightheartedness, determination, and education—on Earth-friendly materials to boot. Kirkus Star review

The lyrical text begs to be read aloud and is perfect for Arbor Day or Earth Day celebrations.  School Library Journal