Picture book author Karen A. Wyle is an author whose books never disappoint. I love her ability to bring inanimate objects to life without turning them into cartoon characters. And she has a new, quiet, yet powerful message to share with her readers. Below is my review of Wyle’s latest story, Wind, Ocean, Grass, followed by an interview with the author.
Wind, Ocean, Grass plot summary
One day, the wind tells the grass that its blades look like ocean waves when the wind blows on it. The grass asks the wind about the ocean. The wind describes the ocean’s similarities and differences with the grass. And when the grass starts to feel inadequate to the ocean, the wind assures it that it needs them both.
The story
Wind, Ocean, Grass is a gentle, reassuring story that we all have our parts to play in the world, no matter how big or small. We can’t be everything to everyone, and it can make us feel jealous when we see someone else excel in a way that we can’t.
This story engages multiple senses as the wind reassures the grass that it is just as important and just as remarkable as the ocean by describing the sights, sounds, and smells of both. Because the wind can travel across multiple terrains, it gets to experience the ever-changing landscape.
The wind is so careful in its word choice not to elevate the ocean over the grass, particularly because it is talking to the grass which comes out and just asks if the ocean is better. It’s something we all do when we hear someone we respect and whose approval we want talk positively about someone else.
This story teaches us how to be sensitive to those with sensitive egos yet still be truthful and positive when we’re asked for our honest opinion. It also teaches us to allow others to be raised up without feeling intimidated or jealous that someone else is being praised.
The illustrations
The illustrations by Tomasz Mikutel are layered and detailed, painting accurate versions of the ocean and grass. The illustrations include both wide landscapes and tiny close ups of its ecosystems. Mikutel uses really striking colors to portray water, air, and earth. They seem to move as the pictures depict everything from ocean spray to changing leaves as well as the animals and bugs that live in each landscape.
The format
Each page contains a sentence or two of text. So, it’s a quick read. But it should be read slow and steady. The vocabulary is simple enough to understand, though it may take an older elementary school reader in order to be able to read it themselves. The wind is such a gentle character that it’s the kind of book that kids will likely want to be read to them, ideally at bedtime or any other time of day where a kid would need to unwind.
My recommendation
I recommend Wind, Ocean, Grass as a perfect bedtime story for readers who need a gentle, environmental story with a positive message. Not every story has to be about a talking animal or have a concrete plot in order to be effective and meaningful. Nature is always interesting and amazing to learn about. So, to give a voice to nature is a unique and effective angle to not only feature in a children’s book but to share a very important human lesson as well.
My rating
An interview with Karen A. Wyle
What was the inspiration behind this story? Were you inspired by any other stories?
I don’t remember where the idea came from — but the earliest version I can find, very close to its final form, comes from July 2008.
What message do you want to send to readers?
I’d like for the message “Our differences are part of what’s worth valuing about us” to slide into the reader’s consciousness without attracting much attention.
Did you consider giving the ocean lines in the book to get its perspective on its place in the world?
I thought briefly about doing so, but nothing came to me that I wanted to add.
Do you have a favorite line or page?
That’s a tough one. I’m not good at picking single favorites of anything, and when it comes to a picture book, my favorite lines may not match up with my favorite illustrations. But one of my favorite set of lines appears on one of my favorite illustrations, on pages 7-8: “The ocean is water as far as I can blow, said the wind, /as far as I can see. It is wide water under a wide sky.”
Another pair of favorites that line up: pages 35-36, with the text, “I need the field where birds can rest, and the colors change so slowly …”
Who do you most want to read this book?
That’s another difficult question! — but it might be young children who have never before had the chance to appreciate this style of art.
How long did it take you to write this story?
I’d guess it took from one to three days. I don’t recall doing much tinkering with it until Tomasz (Mikutel) and I got into the illustration process.
You always work with talented illustrators who create sophisticated yet kid-friendly illustrations. What was the process like working with Tomasz Mikutel?
It was terrific! Tomasz had wonderful ideas that greatly expanded the mood and meaning of the story. (For example, the idea of showing the passage of time through the life stages of a dandelion was entirely his.) He was also very patient, an essential trait for anyone working with me (I have obsessive tendencies) and made major and minor revisions as we worked to bring our visions together on the few occasions where they diverged.
What’s next for you?
I’m working with Barbara Dessi, who did the illustrations for my previous picture book, When It’s Winter, on a story I wrote many years ago. This story is dear to my heart for reasons having to do with who heard it and when. The tentative title is Where Fireflies Sleep, though I’m not sure whether that title would mislead people into expecting nonfiction, and the focus is actually on a little girl and her father watching fireflies shortly before bedtime.
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Buy it!
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