Bluebird by Lindsey Yankey

The wind is so important but we cannot see it, we can only see it's effects. This little bluebird wakes up to discover the wind is missing. She sets out to investigate. The dandelions are still and without the wind their seeds cannot blow away; she sees a lonely kite resting on a park bench; the washing is unmoving; flags droop and, my favourite illustration, the fringes on the beautiful patterned scarves on display in the market no longer flutter. If you were asked to predict other consequences of no wind I'm sure you would think of sailing boats becalmed on the lake and silent wind chimes. After exploring her neighborhood and the nearby city, Bluebird discovers she can fly without her friend, but at that moment

"Just as she was about to take off, she felt something.
It was the wind blowing down from the clouds, high above the city. It must have been resting there, watching her fly."

Bluebird has the most exquisite illustrations. Lindsey Yankey uses mixed media, a limited palette, and a variety of perspectives.  She often uses a whole page and just one colour. The blogger Art on the Page writes:

Lindsey uses drawing, painting, relief prints, and collage to illustrate this book. She also does a quirky thing that I love and draws a scene right around the edges of the page so that the orientation of the picture changes.

You could also use this book to talk about all the ways to describe the wind:
"Not a leaf in the tree was stirring."
"The wind loved to help kites perform acrobatics high in the sky."
"Just the day before the wind had been tickling the grass with the willow branches."


Yankey’s text captures both the wishing for what the wind does every day and also how things are without the wind blowing.  The contrast between what Bluebird knows the wind does and how things are when they are still is wonderfully written with simplicity and grace.  Waking Brain Cells

Take a look at the web site for the publisher of Bluebird - Simple Read Books from Vancouver.

I adore exploring different phenomena via picture books.

Here are some I have read recently:

Dreams

When the World is Dreaming

Silence

The Sound of Silence and Silence by Lemniscates

Wind

Kate, the girl who tamed the wind and Bluebird

Time

Where does Thursday go?