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7th out of 78 books
—
131 voters
Flora's Very Windy Day
When Flora and her pesky little brother, Crispin, are whisked away by a swirling and swooping wind, she gets the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to give her brother away. With tempting offers from a dragonfly, the man in the moon, and even the wind itself, she will find it difficult to choose. But Flora would do anything to get rid of Crispin, wouldn’t she?
Jeanne Bir...more
Jeanne Bir...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
August 23rd 2010
by Clarion Books
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Flora's Very Windy Day is a sweet little story about sibling rivalry/love. Flora is fed up with her little brother Crispin getting away with everything. When her annoyed and distracted mother sends her and Crispin out to play on a very blustery day Flora has a brilliant idea. She knows her special heavy-duty red boots will keep her rooted firmly on the ground, but Crispin's plain purple boots have no such powers. It wouldn't really be *her* problem if Crispin just blew away, would it? What follo...more
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Ran across this in the library, big fan of Penderwicks, had to pick it up. Right off the bat - I love that picture books nowadays start the story early; it's a little reward for paying attention. In this case, start no later than the copyright page to appreciate Phelan's invaluable contribution to Birdsall's text.
Oh goodness. Marvelous. Look at the expressions on the children's faces. Empathize with the mom, and with the big sister. Let your imagination soar on the adventure. Read the rhythmic t...more
Oh goodness. Marvelous. Look at the expressions on the children's faces. Empathize with the mom, and with the big sister. Let your imagination soar on the adventure. Read the rhythmic t...more
I grabbed this book from the library yesterday afternoon amongst a whole stack to check out and read to Reason. As we've made our way through, this has been the stand-out so far. It is about a little girl and her baby brother who has inadvertently made himself a nuisance to her, and she gets her wish that the wind would carry him away, but immediately regrets it and chases after him. She decides that she wants to keep him after all and they get back home after their windy adventure. Reason loved...more
Flora is fed up with her little brother, Crispin. When he spills her paints, she is furious! Her mother tells her to go outside and take Cripsin, too. Well, at least she won't get blown away because she has super-special heavy-duty red boots. Flora thinks Crispin just might get blown away though and make her life easier.
When the wind actually does scoop up Crispin, Flora has second thoughts, takes off her super-special heavy-duty red boots, and goes after Crispin. They meet a dragonfly, a sparr...more
When the wind actually does scoop up Crispin, Flora has second thoughts, takes off her super-special heavy-duty red boots, and goes after Crispin. They meet a dragonfly, a sparr...more
Flora has had enough of her little brother Crispin messing up her stuff. But now her mother has asked her to take Crispin outside even though the wind is very strong. Flora will be fine because of her “super-special heavy-duty red boots” but Crispin just might blow away. If he does, it wouldn’t be Flora’s fault. Outside Flora laughs at the wind and knows it won’t be able to lift her, but she does tell the wind that her brother is wearing regular boots. Soon the wind blows harder still and Crispi...more
I usually don't like "sweet" or "cute" books very much, because "sweet" and "cute" is often so bland and trite and uninteresting. But in this book, there's so much expression and movement in every line of every image, and Flora's exasperation of Crispin is balanced genuinely with her care of and care for him, that the round faces and soft outlines made me smile instead of roll my eyes.
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When Flora & her pesky little brother, Crispin, are whisked away by a swirling & swooping wind, she gets the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to give her brother away. With tempting offers from a dragonfly, the man in the moon, & even the wind itself, she will find it difficult to choose. But Flora would do anything to get rid of Crispin, wouldn’t she? Jeanne Birdsall’s charming picture book debut takes flight in Matt Phelan’s twisting, twirling watercolors, brimming with wit &...more
Feb 16, 2011
Lisa Vegan
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
siblings, especially older siblings; all who appreciate picture books with a good story & pictures
Recommended to Lisa by:
Kathryn
Pure joy! So much fun!
This whimsical story is so terrific and so relatable. It’s very funny too, and many kids will react with glee. Flora thinks she wants to get rid of her little brother Crispin. But, when they go out together and many chances to lose him arise, she discovers her true feelings. Older siblings, in particular, are likely to enjoy this story. All kids will like the repetition; two lines frequently repeat: “He’s my brother and I’m taking him home.” and “If the wind lets you.”
The...more
This whimsical story is so terrific and so relatable. It’s very funny too, and many kids will react with glee. Flora thinks she wants to get rid of her little brother Crispin. But, when they go out together and many chances to lose him arise, she discovers her true feelings. Older siblings, in particular, are likely to enjoy this story. All kids will like the repetition; two lines frequently repeat: “He’s my brother and I’m taking him home.” and “If the wind lets you.”
The...more
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What older sister (or brother) hasn't wished that little brother (or sister) would just disappear for a bit? That's what happens when Flora and her little brother go outside one afternoon. Swept up on a VERY windy day, little brother blows away, and Flora feels obliged to keep up with him and get him home safely. Along the way she gets various offers to keep him up there: as a raindrop squeezer or a bird's egg protector, but she finds herself more and more determined to get him home safely.
The...more
The...more
A little girl is frustrated by her younger brother and they are sent outside to play on a windy day. Flora is fine as she is wearing her super-special heaviy-duty red boots, but Crispin's ordinary purple boots offer little protection. When the wind takes him (at Flora's suggestion), Flora quickly sheds her boots so she can follow. A bird asks for Crispin to sit on her eggs, a rainbow suggests he could guard his gold, and the moon wants Crispin for a friend. Flora just wants to take him home . ....more
Flora's little brother Crispin can be a pain. So when they are sent outside to play, she wishes the wind would blow him away. But then it does and she realizes that she needs to rescue him.
Why I picked it up: A picture book from Birdsall was worth looking into. (She wrote the The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy.)
Why I finished it: The illustrations are charmingly whimsical and once again Birdsall demonstrates that she understands the bonds betw...more
Why I picked it up: A picture book from Birdsall was worth looking into. (She wrote the The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy.)
Why I finished it: The illustrations are charmingly whimsical and once again Birdsall demonstrates that she understands the bonds betw...more
Oh, I'm the older sister and I really enjoyed this one! Flora's pesky younger brother gets into her paints and their exasperated mother sends them outside on a windy fall day. And the story goes from being a trite sibling argument to a wonderful adventure. The wind picks the brother and sister up and they float around, meeting birds and clouds and even the moon. Ultimately, Flora decides to take her brother home and their mother welcomes their return.
A wonderful and honest story and siblings. I...more
A wonderful and honest story and siblings. I...more
Another interesting collaboration, this one between the author of The Penderwicks and Matt Phelan, illustrator of The Storm in the Barn. Like Big Red Lollipop, the conflict begins with an annoying younger sibling and in both stories, older sisters do the right thing in the end. But while Big Red Lollipop is thoroughly grounded in the real world, Flora and her little brother are blown about by the wind and encounter nature, in the form of clouds,the moon and a rainbow, who offer to take him off h...more
A charming book by the author of the beloved "The Penderwicks," I read this as a possible readaloud with the Juniors who are studying weather. The story revolves around a girl whose annoyance at her little brother, Crispin, leads her to take him out in the wind where he is blown away while she watches from the safety of her "super-special heavy-duty red boots." She sheds the boots, follows her brother and declines offers from a bird, the moon and others to take Crispin off her hands. She eventua...more
Okay I know as I write this review that it already has an almost 4 rating, but I didn't like it. Yes it is about sibling rivarly/love but it is a picture book and I wouldn't use it in a storytime or read it to a young child. I feel it has the potential to instill more fear than safety in a child and isn't there another way to deal with sibling issues? The only redeeming feature is the illustrations, both color and capturing the swirling, blowing of the wind.
Sorry, this title just doesn't capture...more
Sorry, this title just doesn't capture...more
I always love good older-sibling-younger-sibling stories, and this was no exception!
Here Flora is stuck watching her little brother, and regretting it, too.
But when trouble strikes, and Flora and her brother are caught up in the wind, perhaps Flora's brother means more to her than she realized.
I almost felt like there were one too many things going on in this book, and I would have like a little more concrete ending, but overall I loved the style and feel and creativity here, both in the story a...more
Here Flora is stuck watching her little brother, and regretting it, too.
But when trouble strikes, and Flora and her brother are caught up in the wind, perhaps Flora's brother means more to her than she realized.
I almost felt like there were one too many things going on in this book, and I would have like a little more concrete ending, but overall I loved the style and feel and creativity here, both in the story a...more
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Every once in awhile, a picture book comes along that I find "practically perfect in every way." Flora's Very Windy Day is one of them!
Flora is tired of her little brother messing up her artwork, but when she whines to Mom, Mom gives the typical older sibling speech about being nice and understanding of one who is littler and to stop complaining! And, oh, why don't Flora and Crispin go outside to play? Flora is frustrated at having to look after Crispin *again* and, besides, it is a very windy d...more
Flora is tired of her little brother messing up her artwork, but when she whines to Mom, Mom gives the typical older sibling speech about being nice and understanding of one who is littler and to stop complaining! And, oh, why don't Flora and Crispin go outside to play? Flora is frustrated at having to look after Crispin *again* and, besides, it is a very windy d...more
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I really like the old-fashioned feel to the story and the illustrations in Birdsall's picture book (and really, with her, you can trust it to be old-fashioned). I like how Flora doesn't have to mention that she was wishing her brother would go away and again, how she doesn't have to lay out that she really wants to keep him until it is all spelled out in the end. It's just the right sentiment and just that right tone - no matter how exasperating our siblings are, we love them in the end.
What older child hasn't wished their troublesome younger sibling would blow away sometime? In this story, Flora, who is very frustrated with her younger brother Crispin always messing her things up gets a chance to see what would happen if she just let him blow away one windy day. In true older sister, protector of younger brother fashion, Flora realizes she really wants to keep him after all. The illustrations are lovely and really add much of the charm to the simple story.
The repetition in the narrative and the soft, watercolor illustrations combine to make this a fun story to read aloud. I thought I recognized the illustrator's work and then when I read the back cover, I realized that he also illustrated The Higher Power of Lucky. All in all, it's a good tale about and for siblings and perfect to read on a chilly Autumn day.
Surely I'm missing something to not enjoy this book to the utmost. The concept is a win--little girl goes outside to play on a windy day with her little brother, who floats away. The adventure is that all sorts of things want to keep her sibling...from a rainbow to the moon. Why then, did the text feel so awkward and the book seem to drag? This is another book that someone who is feeling the story could make magical for a young audience.
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4.5*
3.5* artwork.
The older sister and little brother story is perfect for 7 and 3 year olds. Repetition for the little one helped him stay engaged, and the older one likes the idea of a both rejecting and caring for a younger bother -- oh, I mean brother -- especially since the rejection and caring often happen simultaneously. The art on the last page is especially endearing and familiar.
3.5* artwork.
The older sister and little brother story is perfect for 7 and 3 year olds. Repetition for the little one helped him stay engaged, and the older one likes the idea of a both rejecting and caring for a younger bother -- oh, I mean brother -- especially since the rejection and caring often happen simultaneously. The art on the last page is especially endearing and familiar.
This is a great read-aloud, especially for fall and spring. Flora is interesting and bold. The repetition goes on just long enough, and the message to ask directly for what you need is pitched just right. For sibs, the rivalry probably plays more clearly, but with a singleton, it holds up just fine. The little brother never really fleshes out anyway. This story is about Flora and being a clever girl.
Flora's younger brother is bothersome and she hopes the wind will carry him away one day when the go out to play. Sure enough, the wind whisks him away, but Flora feels bad and decides to follow him. The wind tries to find a place for her brother, but Flora ends up talking the wind into letting her brother return home with her.
Cute story. Recommended ages 4-7.
Cute story. Recommended ages 4-7.
This is a great sibling story. An older sister, an annoying younger brother - one she'd like to get rid of - or would she? Flora gets to decide in this story and she has a definite change of heart that is sweet and satisfying. A great read aloud for storytime- wonderfully illustrated and full of enough repitition and action to hold the youngest readers.
Adorably crafted story and art. I love the adventure and lesson in tolerance and empathy with a plot just enough far fetched that my children knew it couldn't really happen.
Prefectly suited for an autumn day and we found as we were looking for stories about wind for a four year old that just didn't understand how and why it's windy.
Prefectly suited for an autumn day and we found as we were looking for stories about wind for a four year old that just didn't understand how and why it's windy.
Flora gets up set with her brother for spilling her paints. Their mother sends them outside on a very windy day. She tells the wind that it can take her brother but then she gets taken to. As it goes many things ask for her to give the brother to them, she says no. She realizes she loves her brother and takes him home.
I love the art, and I love the story of Flora's Very Windy Day.
The one thing I don't love is that the children aren't just white (ethnically) they literally have no pigment on the page. A story of a sister realizing she loves her brother doesn't need to be a white story :-(
Flora's Very Windy Day focuses on Flora, who at the beginning is pretty annoyed by her brother Crispin. He's younger and Flora's meant to watch him, so when he makes a mess they are sent outside on a windy day. Flora thinks t...more
The one thing I don't love is that the children aren't just white (ethnically) they literally have no pigment on the page. A story of a sister realizing she loves her brother doesn't need to be a white story :-(
Flora's Very Windy Day focuses on Flora, who at the beginning is pretty annoyed by her brother Crispin. He's younger and Flora's meant to watch him, so when he makes a mess they are sent outside on a windy day. Flora thinks t...more
Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful. The story is a sweet one about a girl who wants to get rid of her annoying little brother until she gets an opportunity to do just that. It's a true reflection of the big sister/little brother relationship. The illustrations are gorgeous as well and perfectly complement the story.
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Jeanne Birdsall grew up in the suburbs west of Philadelphia, where she attended wonderful public schools. Jeanne had lots of great teachers, but her favorites were: Mrs. Corkhill, sixth grade, who encouraged her intellectual curiosity; Mr. Tremonte, eighth grade algebra, who taught Jeanne to love and respect math; and Miss Basehore, second and fourth year Latin, to whom Jeanne (and Mr. Penderwick)...more
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