Review Detail

To be honest, I paid very little attention to the text the first time I read The Storm—I was transfixed by the absolutely gorgeous charcoal sketches that are the life and soul of this book. It’s the illustrations that take this spare and simple story to a completely new level of reading experience.
A little boy is bitterly disappointed when a storm threatens to disrupt his big plans for the next day—a beach trip he’d been looking forward to all week. And the only time he’s able to confront his tension is when he gets into bed, pulls the blanket over his head and starts dreaming of his victory over the storm.
What I liked:
The style of the illustrations is unusual and very different from what you find in your regular picture books. The use of colour is minimal but packs a solid punch when it does appear.
The subject—I’m always interested in the various creative ways in which picture books address childhood fears and apprehensions, and this one does a commendable job.
What didn’t work for me:
I really wish the text wasn’t quite so spare. I think the art may have just overshadowed it a bit, because in some places it almost felt like the words existed as just captions for the pictures, instead of heightening the reading experience. I also felt that the conflict resolution happened a little too quickly and easily, and that there should’ve been more in terms of storytelling.
Final verdict:
Pick it up for the art and the simple, direct message.