The Storm

Jonathan is angered by his classmates' assumption that because his mobility is limited by his wheelchair, he's afraid of storms. What he's actually scared of are cars--like the one that hit him while he rode his bike--and being singled out because of his "condition." This tense drama about a disabled child caught alone in the path of a tornado shows that it takes much more than the ability to run and hide to be a survivor. Harshman delivers more plot and action than is usual in picture books, seamlessly injecting a sense of how Jonathan handles everyday life. But the tale is not simply an exciting, positive portrayal of a disabled child. It's a knowing book that will speak to all children about self-image and hard-won success. Mohr's blotchy, impressionistic watercolors are a fine match for the text. With their yellows, greens, oranges, and golds, they somehow capture the electric heaviness of the air before a storm and the uncontrolled chaos of a tornado at its most frightening--frightening to Jonathan, to anyone.
Stephanie Zvirin
Ages 5-8.