On Tuesday May 13th, 2025 I welcome two new picture books into the world!
Like any parent of twins (I imagine), I was worried I would not be able to give each one adequate attention. Happily, the connection between wind and water is a natural one and I have been having fun finding ways to let these two different stories—one fiction and one nonfiction—play off each other.
Something I hadn’t noticed until I began to look more carefully is that the water cycle, which is the subject of Sea in My Cells, is actually referred to in Wind, Stop Blowing!
The main character, Benjamin Snooks, hates the disruptive presence of the wind in his life and wastes a lot of time and energy demanding, “Wind, stop blowing!” Finally, the exasperated wind confronts Benjamin and nudges him out of the centre of his own universe with this reminder: “Do you suppose I travel the world just to bother you? When I pass by, I am busy herding the clouds, bringing the rain, cooling the earth.”
There you have it. The theme of one book nestled inside the other. Family resemblance.
You can read more about the books in these twin blog posts from Picture Books, Eh! The first is a conversation about Sea in My Cells between me and illustrator Andrea Blinick, the second a reflection on the story behind the writing of Wind, Stop Blowing!
I hope you have a chance to read both books and find your own connections.
Laura Alary 