A boy and his grandad set off on a windy kite-flying adventure.
Sam graduated from the University of W est England and his debut picture book Can You See Sassoon? w as shortlisted for the W aterstones Prize and the Red House Children's Book Aw ard. He is particularly admired for his technical draw ing skill and prow ess w ith w atercolour. Also a talented pianist, w hen he's not holding a pen and w obbling at paper you'll find him perfecting a fiendishly difficult piece of Chopin.He is also creator of the bestselling seasonal series about a boy and his grandfather.
Storm by Sam Usher is the final installment in the quartet of
seasonal books which highlight the special relationship a boy has
with his grandfather, as well as beautifully depicting the changing
weather and landscapes around us. In this book, it's blowing a gale
and the boy and his grandfather decide that it's perfect
kite-flying weather! (Now personally I think it's a don't try this
at home sort of story as it's far too stormy to actually fly a kite
but we will let this book have some artistic license because it
makes for a wonderful and atmospheric story.) But, of course, they
can't find the kite. Isn't this always the way? As they search
through the cupboards for their beloved kite, they happen across a
whole cacophony of items that allow them to reminisce of wonderful
memories of their days out together and the special bond that they
have. And each page of the search is interspersed with the
increasingly stormy weather developing outside, including a rather
hilarious elderly gent who gets more and more swept up by the
storm! When they do eventually find their kite and make it outside,
they have their best adventure yet. So much so that they actually
take flight!
The magic of this book, for me, comes from the incredibly dramatic
illustrations of the stormy weather, so much so that as you gaze at
the pictures you can almost hear the wind blowing (or perhaps
that's just me because it's blowing a gale here as I type). The
colour-palette of the greys of the sky is truly perfect when set in
contrast against the bright rainbow of kites that tear across it in
the breeze. The selection of autumnal leaves which swirl on each
page are crafted so beautifully you can feel their movement. This
book really is a wonder!
*BookBairn*
Previous titles in the series include Rain, Sun and Snow, and the
children all knew why I had chosen the book for this week - they
talked excitedly about the recent rain and strong winds and how the
leaves were falling from the trees. One of the most popular
activities at playtime recently has been gathering mounds of
multi-coloured leaves and pretending they are mountains to dominate
and explore. The children loved the evocative language used in the
book when describing the wind - 'blustered and blew', 'huffed and
'howled' and 'whistled and whooshed'. Not only do these words sound
perfect for the noise the wind makes, but their onomatopeic nature
inspired the children to have a go at making the sounds themselves.
The illustrations complement the words perfectly, with the windy
scenes in particular creating a sense not just of movement but
whirling, natural chaos.
My young audience was particularly captivated by the kite-flying
scenes, calling out all the shapes and sizes, from a Chinese dragon
to a massive whale. We talked about times when we'd flown a kite
(most of my experiences have not been impressive!) and then, during
library lunchtime, we decorated kite shapes as an activity.
This is a delightful story that not only makes us think about the
weather but also how different family members can have fun
together. A great book for everyone, but especially a boy to share
with his fun-loving grandfather.
*Childtastic Books*
Storm is the fourth in a series of books from writer and
illustrator Sam Usher which follow a young boy and the adventures
he has with his grandad in the snow, rain, sun and now, a storm.
Every book starts in the same way; the boy wakes up, looks out of
his window and discovers something exciting.Full of enthusiasm he
races to find his grandad, desperate to have an adventure. He just
can't decide what to do, but grandad knows that a windy day is the
best day to fly a kite of course. They search the house high and
low for the kite and there are some beautifully touching moments
where they find items they used in their previous adventures and
reminisce.There's so much excitement in getting everything perfect
that the boy and his grandad are always slightly delayed in getting
out to experience the extreme weather. During this time the weather
becomes more dramatic than ever with lively illustrations of what's
going on just outside the front door.When they're finally ready
they step out and the adventures can really begin. These books
build up the action so gently from what is a normal activity to a
crescendo that breaks the barrier between real life and
imagination. One minute they are flying their kites on a blustery
hill and the next they are really flying, swooping amongst the
clouds with fantastical kite creatures.The bond between grandchild
and grandparent is truly special and these two capture the essence
of it perfectly. Sam Usher's watercolour illustrations are
wonderfully grand but also tender and full of affection. All the
books leave you feeling warm and snug, which is exactly what you
need on a stormy autumn day.
*Acorn Books*
Written and illustrated by Sam Usher and published by Templar
Publishing, STORM is the fourth and final instalment in a beautiful
seasonal series of books, which celebrate the special relationship
between a little boy and his grandad.As we had previously read
RAIN, SUN and SNOW, we were very much looking forward to finding
out what new adventure STORM would bring. It is a real delight to
share another joy-filled day with this imaginative duo. As they
search for their kite, we gain a glimpse of adventures past: a game
of cricket, a boat trip and a visit to a secret cave! Then when
they do eventually locate the kite, we join them on yet another
fun-filled trip to the park.
This heartwarming story is completed by Sam Usher's timeless and
atmospheric illustrations. The way in which he captures the
wildness of the weather outside, and contrasts it with the
comforting memories the pair find within the house, is very special
indeed. As too is his level of detail and his ability to create
expression and movement on the page. All the images are beautiful
but the double spreads are particularly wonderful!
STORM may be the final book in the series but it is definitely our
favourite and it is perfect for curling up under a blanket and
reading this Autumn.
*Along Came Polly*
Storm is part of a series of fictional books that are based around
seasons. The other titles in the series are, Snow, Rain and
Sun.
Storm celebrates a loving and respectful relationship between a
grandfather and his grandson as shown in the previous books. It's
wonderful to meet the familiar characters again and witness natural
conversations between the two of them.
It's proving to be a windy day in the story and the young boy is
excited at the prospect of exploring the outdoors. His granddad
suggests flying a kite but they need to find it first. As they
search all over the house they each find different items. The
various items they find are representative of wonderful memories
that will also remind readers of adventures they've read about from
Sam Usher's previous books.Thankfully the kite is found and off
they go on their outdoor adventure. They aren't the only ones who
thought to fly a kite on such a windy day. As the wind becomes
stronger they both swoop and fly with the kite but with the weather
becoming more intense they, thankfully, land safely and head
home.Sam Usher does a brilliant job at creating interesting,
dramatic illustrations with a sprinkle of magic. His colourful
artwork so wonderfully captures the delightful colours found during
autumn time and the sense of movement and wind blustering outside
is so realistic.
The format of the story is similar to previous books written but
the familiarity in its structure will be welcomed by young readers.
The simple storyline makes this a great book to be enjoyed by
preschoolers and up, who I am sure will also be in awe of the
gorgeously detailed illustrations.
*Mamma Filza*
The fourth of Sam Usher's series of picture books about a little
boy and his grandfather continues to celebrate their special
relationship.
It's a very blustery autumn morning and when the little boy wakes
up he sees leaves flying, dancing and tumbling down.
Eager to get outside, he calls his Grandad who suggests flying a
kite. First though they have to find it.
During their search they rediscover several items - a cricket bat,
letters and a telescope that bring back memories of previous
adventures - until finally, they find the kite.
Off they set under a stormy-looking sky to the parkwhere they
discover lots of other kite fliers. "Hold on tight," calls Grandad
as their fantasy adventure begins.
Up, up, up they go swooping and twisting as the sky is filled with
an amazing, colourful array of kites of all different shapes and
patterns.
The wind intensifies and the boy lets go of the kite string.
Luckily though, Grandad catches it "There's a storm brewing!Let's
head for home," he urges and they do.
Back indoors, as the storm rages outside, they share some tea and
Grandad declares, "The best adventure is an adventure shared." And
so it is, just like the one herein: what better prelude to a
kite-flying foray than this.
With russet, gold, orange and brown hues, and a darkening grey, Sam
Usher's watercolour and ink illustrations capture so well both the
trees' autumnal foliage and the brooding nature of the storm.
*Red Reading Hub*
Sam Usher's Storm is a great book to inspire children to go outside
and have an autumn adventure. We've already met the boy and his
grandad in Rain, Sun and Snow and we love the way that their
relationship and adventures harness the power of imagination and
lead them outside to have fun.The Story: It's a windy autumn day
and a boy and his grandad are looking for their kite. They
reminisce as they discover objects from previous adventures but
before long Grandad and the boy are having fun flying through the
air along with a host of other kite flyers. But there's a storm
brewing - can they make it home before it arrives?The boy has
several ideas for windy day activities including our favourite -
kicking up leaves - but it is Grandad who suggests kite flying. The
calm inside the house as they look for their kite contrasts with
the weather outside. The alliterative text is brilliant, we love
'blustered and blew' and 'whirled and whooshed', and combined with
swirling leaves in the illustrations you are blown away as your
read. Scarves blow sideways and the boy and his Grandad hold onto
their hats as they finally step out of the iconic red front door,
dressed almost identically, to start their adventure.
The boy and his grandad share a wonderfully strong bond, the story
is a really lovely portrayal of family members from two different
generations having fun together. We love the way that they immerse
themselves in their adventure and the double page spreads showing
them flying their kite are gorgeous.The boy also shares his
adventure with the toy that was lying on his bed at the beginning
of the story. The dragon mask (which has a tail like another of
Sam's picture book characters, Sassoon) becomes a kite and at one
point Grandad and the boy ride on its back. The flying scenes are
wonderfully busy with a colourful array of kites and children in
stripy jumpers. It's amazing that the strings don't get tangled
together but that's the beauty of this adventure, reality and
fantasy are blurred together as the boy and his grandad's
imaginations take over.
*Story Snug*
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