Storm

In a fall addition to Usher’s fanciful weather-themed series, a boy with scribbly, crimson-colored hair wakes to a blustery day: “The wind was rattling the windows. I couldn’t wait to go outside.” After searching the house’s cupboards for their diamond-shaped kite (and reminiscing about previous moments together), a boy and his bespectacled grandfather take their kite to the park. There, the kite takes off—trailing them along with it. Surreal scenes show a sky crowded with unusual kites (including a dragon, whale, and gorilla) and other kite-fliers lifted into the maelstrom. As the storm gains intensity, the kite gently guides the boy and his grandfather home. There, they remember the day’s adventure as lightning slashes the sky outside the window. In his subtly expressive watercolor and line art, Usher conveys the thrill of an unexpected adventure as well as the tender relationship between grandfather and grandson. Ages 3–7. [em](Sept.) [/em]