Kate, Who Tamed The Wind

by Liz Garton Scanlon, Lee White (Illustrator)

Award-winning author Liz Garton Scanlon presents a young, rhythmic read-aloud about a girl who solves a windy problem with an environmentally sound solution: planting trees.

A wild wind blows on the tippy-top of a steep hill, turning everything upside down for the man who lives there. Luckily, Kate comes up with a plan to tame the wind. With an old wheelbarrow full of young trees, she journeys up the steep hill to add a little green to the man's life, and to protect the house from the howling wind. From award-winning author Liz Garton Scanlon and whimsical illustrator Lee White comes a delightfully simple, lyrical story about the important role trees play in our lives, and caring for the world in which we live.

Praise for Bob, Not Bob by Liz Garton Scanlon:
"This is read-aloud gold!" --Publishers Weekly, Starred

Praise for All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon:
"A sumptuous and openhearted poem . . . (that) expresses the philosophy early readers most need to hear: there's humanity everywhere." --The New York Times

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Environment, Fiction, Friendship, Poetry

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Liz Garton Scanlon is the author of numerous beloved books for young people, including the highly-acclaimed, Caldecott-honored picture book All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee, two novels for middle grade readers, and an upcoming chapter book series. Her many other picture books include the ones she's co-authored with Audrey Vernick, like Bob, Not Bob and World's Best Class Plant. Ms. Scanlon is also a poet, a teacher and a frequent & popular presenter at schools, libraries and conferences. She serves on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in Austin, Texas.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Kate, the super smart girl who understands the value of trees. She is fantastic. The art is whips around like wind in this book. It's very smartly done. The old man on the hill has this horrible beard. Trees block wind. It really does work.

The nephew liked this book too. It's a quick read and he gave it 3 stars too.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man lived all alone at the top of a very steep hill where winds blew constantly. The wind blew so much that eventually, the shutters banged and the boards bent, and the wind tipped things over and just kept on blowing. Kate was a little girl who lived below the steep hill. When the man cried out in despair, Kate heard him and had a plan. She thought and thought, realizing that she could not stop the wind from blowing. But she could bring new trees to the man. So up she went, pulling her wagon of trees. The two planted the trees together and time passed, the wind still blew, but eventually the trees softened the wind and their friendship grew along with the trees. This picture book is so delightful. Scanlon uses rhymes, rhythm and repetition to create a story that is jaunty and wonderful to read aloud. She plays with the forms, so it never becomes sing-songy and is constantly surprising. The art is just as sprightly and warm, with a stunningly steep hill and plenty of vexing wind. The solution, provided by a child, incorporates nature and science. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Colona Public Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about a man who has a house that is in bad shape because of a bad wind and a little girl who takes the initiative to think of a solution and lend a helping hand. The illustrations are really cute in this book and I love how you watch the trees grow to indicate the passing of time. They show the girl and the man much older enjoying what they worked on with a picnic! This would be a great book for earth day because it talks about the importance of trees! ~Ashley

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate hears the woeful cry of a man at the top of a steep hill. Up on the hill the wind blows strongly. It bangs the shutters and bends the boards of the house. It blows the laundry and the man's hat right off of his head, down the hill to Kate. What solution can she find for the wind? Kate knows she can't stop the wind. Her solution is to plant saplings on the steep hill. With the man's help, Kate plants all her trees. As the years go by, the trees grow. Kate grows too. The man grows older. Thanks to the trees on the steep hill, Kate and the man can enjoy a nice picnic without the food blowing away and the drink tipping over.

Scanlon's text is filled with repetition, rhythm and rhyme. It's great for reading out loud to children. The illustrations compliment the text perfectly. This would be a terrific addition to books teaching the ecosystem or about Arbor Day. The last page of the book provides addtional information on trees.

[Hákon Gunnarsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I came across this title I had my reservations, a girl who tames the wind sounds a bit too fanciful, but it is actually surprisingly down to earth.

Her solution to the old man’s problem living high up on a windy mountain, is actually not fanciful, but workable in reality. Planting trees does change wind patterns, or as in this case result less wind behind them.

I thought the text was a little bit too repetitive for my taste, but the illustrations are good, and the story too.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book is great. There's a man who lives on the top of a hill, where it's very windy. He doesn't know what to do, because the wind is wreaking havoc on his house. Kate, a little girl at the bottom, sees the problem and takes a bunch of saplings up the hill and plants them. It's a long-term solution, really, and the book reflects that. As the trees grow, so does Kate (and the man grows older, too). Eventually, the house at the top of the hill is protected by a windbreak of trees, and everyone is happy.

What I don't like about this book is the way it's written. It's in rhyme in places, and it's definitely poetic, but it's so repetitive. I had to keep from grinding my teeth together as I was reading this. I don't know why it bothered me so much. Maybe the repetition made it seem too young. Or maybe it just made it seem too pretentious. The narrative could've been poetic without so much repetition. Here, take a look:

The wind blew until the
shutters banged in the creaky
house on the tip-top of the
steep hill.

The wind blew, the
shutters banged, and
the boards bent.

The wind blew, the shutters
banged, the boards bent, the
table tipped, and the tea spilled.

The tea spilled and the bread
broke on the tippy table in the
creaky house at the tip-top of
the steep hill.

It was bad enough reading this the first time; I would hate to have to read it over and over again to a child!

The illustrations are decent, but nothing really memorable. I did like seeing how the passage of time was depicted with the characters growing and changing.

Overall, this is a decent children's picture book with a nice environmental message. If you don't mind the repetition in the narrative, you might enjoy this one more than I did.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is wonderful. I love picture books that also provide non-fiction information that relates to the story. Kate Who Tamed the Wind is a well told, lovely story but it also illustrates an important scientific concept really well. Perfect for early elementary schoolers who are learning about ecosystems and as a way to introduce younger readers to the topic.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the charming illustrations, but even more than that, I loved the wonderful text. The repetition and rhythm to it made it a delight to read out loud. Also, it's combined with a wonderful message about the important roles that trees play in a way that I haven't seen done in a child's book before.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The folks at Arbor Day will surely love this tree-filled children's book with a protagonist who knows just important trees are to the environment. Although I'm not entirely sure how the characters in this picture book kept the wind from wreaking havoc on those baby trees and saplings, I did like this book. I'm assuming from the mixed media illustrations, created with watercolor, ink and with digital aid, that they anchored them, but still, that was a fierce wind. When Kate, a young girl, hears a cry for help from a man who lives atop a barren hill, she answers that call with her own solution. Not only does she haul young trees up the hill to his property, but she helped plant and care for them for the next several years. Eventually, as time passes, evident from the illustrations that show the growing trees and the aging man and girl, the place on the hill becomes a refuge from the wind. Why, they even manage to have a picnic, complete with a pitcher of lemonade, something that would have been impossible without those trees functioning as a windbreak. Who doesn't love a girl who can solve problems and one who loves nature? While the repetitive text got a little old for me, the message here is what's important. The book's back matter offers information about the function of trees in our world and suggests ways to get involved in protecting Earth's trees and forests.

[KC · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are grand but the story is a bit misleading. All for support of trees and sustainability.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a children’s book winner after reading a bunch of duds to my Grands.

Great pics, great story of an innovative, industrious, and kind girl solving a problem for a neighbor.

Loved it.

One Caveat: it’s just a story, but I would not have wanted my child going off alone to a neighbor’s house. I think this point should be talked about with Littles.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scanlon, Liz Garton Kate, Who Tamed the Wind, Illustrated by Lee White. PICTURE BOOK. Schwartz & Wade Books, 2018. $18. 9781101934791

One man lives all alone in a creaky house on the tip-top of a steep hill where the wind is always blowing. The wind is ruining his house and food and he does not know what to do until Kate comes and helps him solve his problem by planting trees.

I love the idea of showing how trees can be used to help in a different way than we normally see. There is also a note from the author at the end about how the reader can help make a difference in the environment. However, I think the author tries to do too many things with the story by repeating phrases, rhyming sometimes and then sometimes not and that did not flow for me as well with the inconsistency.

EL (K-3)- OPTIONAL. SLM
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The layered, cumulative text in this charming story evokes the gusting, swirling, recursive patterns of wind. Perhaps the hardest thing to do in writing a fiction picture book for young audiences is to incorporate long passages of time. In this case, Scanlon's lyrical, lilting language pairs with White's illustration and clever page layouts to allow even the youngest to sense the passing of years, even decades, within the covers of this picture book.
The light touch of science within the actual text is handled with a master's touch, and the back-matter-science about trees as windbreaks makes this a valuable resource for older readers, too.

[Kat Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

KATE, WHO TAMED THE WIND is a rhythmic read aloud, unlike anything I've read lately. While the plot is sweet (especially with the added lesson in eco engineering), the story's strength is certainly in its syntax and thoughtfully chosen words, with alliteration that dances through Lee White's poetic illustrations - just like the wind would. This is a book for readers who love repetitive text and have a passion for watching things grow.

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure I get this. An old man lives on top of a hill. It's windy. He's angry. A little girl from down the hill helps him plant some trees. Years later, the trees have grown big enough to shield the house from the wind and the old man is happier. There's probably a parable in that somewhere?

[Alina Borger · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely, perfect book. Liz gave a preview read at a faculty reading tonight and I fell hard. Her language is lyrical, the rhymes completely unforced, the story inter-generational and charming. Call this a win for picture book lovers everywhere.

[Earl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was immediately drawn to this story about a solution-based girl who helps a stranger with his problem in a very innovative and environmentally conscious way! Fun rhythmic read which should be a hit during storytimes.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the good message about the importance of trees, the story in unconvincing. Trees take years to grow, and would not have been able to save the house in the hill. Borrow from public library for Earth Day tie-in; do not purchase for school collection.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever young girl comes up with a environmentally smart solution to a windy problem.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terrific illustrations accompany this tender story about a young girl coming to the aide of a neighbor. Touches on the importance of trees. Arbor Day activity anyone?

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eco engineering on display here as Kate helps the man on the windy hill solve his problem by planting some trees.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very poetic.

[Manika · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful empowering book for girls as well as an excellent book for Earth Day, Arbor Day, Poetry, etc. My students liked it very much.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

My granddaughter thought it was a cool book because a girl thought of ways to change her environment naturally for herself and others.

[Amy Brydon Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this little story of the courageous Kate who lends a helping hand to the man on the hill. The use of rhyme and repetition within the text really helps bring the story alive and makes it a great read aloud story. I think the book could be used to talk about nature / trees in science or friendship / helping someone in PSHE.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read three Liz Garton Scanlon books to Alena today and liked each one of them. This is my favorite of the three. I'm not sure why it touched me so deeply. Maybe it's Kate's thoughtfulness toward the man on the hill's dilemma. Maybe it's their lasting friendship. Maybe it's watching the baby trees grow up and solve the wind problem. It just affected me so much it made me cry for some reason.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this title and thought the illustrations complemented the text well. The short blurb at the back is a nice addition, too. I think the school-age kids will enjoy this one, and great for around Earth Day.

[Julian · Rating 5 out of 5]

We loved this book. An old man, living on the top of a steep hill is brought to tears by the wind constantly blowing his belongings and destroying his house. A girl named Kate realizes this and decides to act. She comes up with a plan involving trees and with great patience solves the situation. It is a nice story about nature, determination, friendship and growing up.

The language is great and, while there's rhyming of sorts, it is not childish or, worse, pretentious. It is just perfect. We found it very useful because my daughter is working hard on her past tense, so this gave us a lot of practicing of irregular verbs: flew, blew, grew, etc. There's also a cat we found interesting, even if he's just a background character.

[Trisha Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this sweet picture book. It would be great for a seasons theme or a friendship theme.