A Story Like the Wind

Product Information

The illustrations by Weaver are breathtaking, woven from blues and whites. They fill with light and dark, playing against one another and revealing images built from luminescence, music, and wind. The illustrations suit the dark tale so perfectly that the book is one cohesive story. There is the fascinating setting of Africa, the colors, sounds and smells described in loving detail; the farm with the main house, the gardens and huts, the animals, the juxtaposition of beauty and danger always present.

Laurens Van der Post and A Story Like The Wind Laurens Van der Post and A Story Like The Wind

both animal and man were charged by life to do everything in their power to defeat death, if only to make certain that when it ultimately came it was the right kind of death." string(131) "A Story Like the Wind tells the story of a young boy who uses his agency to provide hope to fellow refugees through song and story." This affecting book deserves to be shared widely and discussed anywhere people come together in groups" ( Red Reading Hub) Book Review courtesy of Books for Keeps, first published May 2017. Thank you to Books for Keeps for permission to reproduce their review. It is, perhaps, the most imposing natural moment of resolution of which life on earth is capable because, within its still centre, the earth forgives the sun for the heat of the day. All death, which the fight for survival has inflicted, is understood, and a brief state of innocence for all is poignantly established, before another battle for survival under cover of darkness comes into being."As the title suggests, Azzi finds herself living in a new country where there is no physical threat of harm, but isolated from her past life and unable to fit in with the new place, her family find a home. The absence of colour in the illustrations, capture the trauma of what has happened to force her and her Mum and Dad to leave their home and more importantly her grandmother behind. The issues of language barriers, finding accommodation and being allowed to work are well-portrayed. It’s possible that this situation is familiar to children in classes all over the U.K. How well do other children understand what has happened to children like this, and how desperately they need friendship and understanding from them? It had me in tears by the end. It captured the sense of grief and loss, but still carries a flag of hope and determination. He believed that when a person could form a question, it was a sign from life that the person was ready for a truthful answer." Published in partnership with Amnesty International, with supplementary reading guides. About This Edition ISBN: The illustrations are to die for. Seriously. So much so, that I have looked up the illustrator separately. The author also uses some refrains for a more powerful impact, and to tie the story together, which works well.

MTYT: A Story Like the Wind • Worlds of Words MTYT: A Story Like the Wind • Worlds of Words

By Janelle B. Mathis, PhD, University of North Texas and Katie Loomis, Librarian and Doctoral Student, University of North TexasI read the book aloud to my 7-year-old daughter. It provided me with an opportunity to discuss hard topics like refugees and war. I appreciate that while the refugees’ story doesn’t come to a “happy” conclusion, the book ends with a note of hope, and the story within the story of the white stallion and the boy Suke does come to a satisfying conclusion of the evil being vanquished from the land and the village celebrating. Francois, the main character, is born in Africa (near Victoria Falls, which is now in Zimbabwe and Zambia), of parents descended from the French. His parents have created a ranch called Hunter’s Drift in which both his parents and the local tribesmen (the mantebele) have a stake. Janelle: This is perhaps one of the most powerful stories I have read that speaks to the significance of music and story. I appreciated that in between segments of the story that Rami was telling, different people in the boat related their story of memories, escape, loss and survival. The boy portrayed a strong sense of having agency through music and his instrument. He then shared this with the others as he opened spaces for their voices and nurtured a sense of hope through the story he told. The mixture of reality and fantasy is strategically used, and music makes that connection stronger and more vivid. I believe in music as a communicative form even without words, so the interplay here of authentic stories and an almost mythical tale about music’s origins creates a scenario that makes it easy to suspend disbelief. What comes naturally for this young adolescent is earnestly shared to support the stories of others, many of whom are adults. I am reminded of the universality of music and of the need for all to tell their stories – to be remembered. I am also reminded of the real struggles of immigrants – the price they pay both literally and in lives and dignity to find a safe place to live. In the third installment of January’s MTYT, Janelle B. Mathis and Katie Loomis talk about the picturebook A Story Like the Wind, written by Gill Lewis and illustrated by Jo Weaver. The theme for this month focuses on child agency and situations where children can relate to adults through personal relationship, actions, words or questions. This fable tells the story of a young boy who uses his agency to provide hope to fellow refugees through song and story.

A Story Like the Wind - Laurens Van der Post - Google Books

It was utterly impossible, therefore, young as he was, for him to think of death as the outrage which it is increasingly becoming in the view of metropolitan man, who keeps himself and his young as far as he can from witnessing death of any kind and so allows all the natural aids life has built into man for facing death to crumble by neglect and default." Dieses Buch ist ein Plädoyer an Menschlichkeit im Rahmen unbarmherziger Grausamkeiten. Es ist ein Zeichen, dass Freiheit siegt, weil es das kostbarste Gut ist, dass Musik überdauert und uns alle verbindet. Was in der heutigen Gesellschaft fehlt, wird hier vor Augen geführt – Verständnis. Wir müssen uns nicht alle lieb haben, aber die Geschichte des jeweils anderen zu hören, seine Gefühle und seine Erlebnisse, machen aus einem namenlosen Opfer plötzlich jemanden, mit dem man sich verbunden fühlt. Ich denke, das fehlt heutzutage einigen. Dark shades of night, war and escape are the only colors used in this book and introduce a thirteen-year-old boy, Rami, who has escaped conflict and loss. The story opens with this young lad holding an instrument case and sitting in a small boat with other refugees. Their motor has shut down and they are drifting with little food; the boy is rebuked for not bringing something with him that might provide more sustenance. However, Rami uses his love of music and story to uplift those in the boat as he plays a story to which each can relate personal memories. Thus, a community is formed around story, song and shared fears as they venture to the unknown. The gift of hope that the boy gives through his love of music and his instrument reveals agency of spirit that extends to others. The story within this story is that of a boy finding a wild injured colt and raising it to be the fastest, most desired stallion in the land. When the horse came into the hands of an evil Lord, the fantasy begins as the horse gave the boy his music to use to defeat the Dark Lord. The story ends with hope and a song of freedom, thus giving the refugees in the boat hope.

Gill Lewis Press Reviews

Katie: This book caught my attention from the very beginning. It could easily be the real story of immigrants fleeing a war-torn country. The way the story moved from past to present allowing everyone to hear the story in combination with the music was very moving. Music can change people’s lives. Rami gave this group the opportunity to look at their own stories. I agree that everyone needs the opportunity to share their stories. These people may not see each other again, but Rami and his violin influenced their lives in a positive way. This tale can, and should, be consumed in one sitting, even for the busiest of children or young teens. A Story Like The Wind features 14 year old Rami who is escaping his war torn homeland with a handful of strangers in a tiny boat on a vicious sea. Rami carries nothing but his violin. To give everyone hope through the long, turbulent night when their outboard engine has died, he plays and his music tells a story. The story is of a Mongolian boy and his untameable white stallion; a metaphor for a violence riddled country and the unbreakable spirit of its people despite all odds. This tale within a tale is truly heartwarming and heartwrenching at the same time. The words tumble from the passengers’ lips, keen to etch names and places into each other’s minds. Remember me. Remember my name. There ain't no pay in blogging, and when there ain't no regular income either, every little helps, and is gratefully received. Thank you! Gill Lewis has established herself as the principal contemporary writer of animal stories, combining a vet’s knowledge of her subject with a novelist’s capacity for character and plot.’ - Lorna Bradbury, The Daily Telegraph, on Scarlet Ibis

A STORY LIKE THE WIND | Kirkus Reviews A STORY LIKE THE WIND | Kirkus Reviews

On the surface, the story within the story is about the origin of Rami’s violin but it’s also an allegory about obtaining freedom from an oppressive government. We don’t quite know the significance of this story within the story until the end, where it ties both narratives together beautifully.Francois is raised not only by his parents but by Batmuthi, the head tribesman and his father’s partner in the running of the ranch. He teaches Francois to understand the interconnected relationship between men, the animals, and the land itself. For Francois it is a happy childhood completely in sync with the natural rhythms of the land he lives in and loves. But there are forces at work at the time (early 1960’s) and the terrible conflicts that come to embody life in Africa intrudes into Francois’ life and he must learn to navigate a whole new landscape. The act of sleep is nothing if not an act of trust and are-commitment of one’s daytime self to the unfathomable depth of the urges that have raised life from clay." A Story Like the Wind is a story unlike any other I’ve read in children’ literature. The lyrical language of the story transported me to the tastes, smells and sounds of the streets of Syria and the Mongolian desert, as a small band of refugees floating in a dinghy at sea at night remember their homes that are no longer, and a small boy recounts and sings a tale to keep the darkness at bay. There are many children’s books that describe the stories of refugees and their desperate situation as they leave behind their whole existence and travel to where they hope there may be a better life. The selection of reading ideas included here encompasses some of the issues confronting those trying to escape terror. They may be useful for teachers who are working with children from families who have made such journeys. Additionally, having some kind of understanding of what these families and children have experienced may also help children to develop an informed and balanced approach to building friendships and welcoming immigrants and asylum seekers into their own communities. A successful juvenile by the beloved New Yorker writer portrays a farm episode with an imaginative twist that makes a poignant, humorous story of a pig, a spider and a little girl.