FICTION

Safe in a Storm

by Stephen R. SWINBURNE
illus. by Jennifer A. Bell. 32p. Scholastic/Cartwheel. May 2016. Tr $10.99. ISBN 9780545867924.
COPY ISBN
PreS-K—Reassuring glimpses of adult animals keeping their young safe from storms begin with a dog and pup heading indoors as black clouds gather. Spread-length illustrations with muted colors depict the power of winds and rain without overwhelming young listeners. They can focus on the protections provided by a parent's closeness whether in a bears' den, owls' sturdy tree, or bobcats' sheltering ledge. The rhymed couplet included with each illustration features the voice of the adult soothing its young. From giraffes on the savanna to whales beneath the ocean, all will weather the storms. The final pages return to dog and pup, first gazing through a window at the pelting rain outside, then snuggling together to sleep. Caroline Starr Rose offers a more sustained account of a single storm in Over in the Wetlands (Random, 2015).
VERDICT This tender overview of adult care will work best for one-on-one sharing and conversation to overcome a child's fears. A worthwhile but not essential purchase.
Reviewed by Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato
As storm clouds gather, an adult collie guides a puppy home. Glimpses of other adult animals protecting their young follow, each captioned with a comforting rhyming couplet assuring young readers that "a storm will always end." Soothing, swirling double-page illustrations accompany the story, which ends with the collie and pup cuddling peacefully indoors.
 , Mar 01, 2016

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