I Am a Tornado

March 1, 2023
When a tornado comes rampaging through the countryside, snatching up farmyard animals and threatening further mayhem, a cow caught up in its winds gently questions why it's so upset. A horse? A sheep? A house that may have people in it? Doesn't matter: This tornado's gonna toss 'em! But a cow wants to know why. Despite repeated denials that the tornado's anything but a massive column of violent, spiraling air, the persistent, supportive cow wheedles its way past its gruff exterior. The tornado's large, expressive eyes and actions betray the true feelings behind its blustering, though even it may not know why it's so upset. Colorful illustrations reminiscent of paper cutouts further create a dynamic, cartoonish impression that adds humor without downplaying the tornado's reckless destruction. A couple of diagrams show how tornadoes form and operate but seem almost randomly inserted, briefly distracting from the analogy of a caregiver helping a small child coping with big emotions. The tornado's big feelings and actions, delivered in short bursts of text, will initially amuse and draw children in. By contrast, the cow's calm nature and sympathy slowly develop through longer sentences before the story delivers its moral in the quiet of a breezy dusk. (This book was reviewed digitally.) An endearing portrayal of an emotional meltdown told with humor and compassion. (Picture book. 3-6)

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March 13, 2023
In an entertaining story about the power of compassion, an anthropomorphic tornado finds an empathetic ear—and some emotional support—from an
unexpected source. Tornado, a menacing twisty gray funnel of cloud, barrels into a rural scene, flipping farm animals and buildings with abandon and sucking up a russet-brown cow. As Tornado continues shouting and spinning, the cow, now along for the ride, asks, “Tornado, is everything okay?” The back-and-forth that follows might well be a primer for emotional de-escalation. Tornado initially remains on the defensive (“I AM SUPER POWERFUL AND TALL... NOTHING BOTHERS ME”), while the patient cow uses a multi-pronged approach of sincerity, empathy, and occasional meteorological sidebars to understand the spiral’s motivation. Slowly, bovine encouragement brings about a transformation for Tornado, who moves from “I’M GONNA GO TOSS ’EM” to “WILL YOU STAY TILL I BLOW AWAY?” Featuring distant mountains and wide-open spaces, cut-paper artwork with a 3D quality slowly shifts with the protagonists’ emotional state, showing the cow growing ever larger and expressive Tornado smaller. Beckmeyer (Dear Wild Child) delivers a relatable, conversational power-down that is by turns gentle, funny, and vulnerable. Ages 4–8. Agent: Stephanie Fretwell-Hill, Red Fox Literary.

May 1, 2023
Grades K-2 As an anthropomorphized tornado wreaks havoc, a cow caught and carried along does its best to de-escalate things. In a story relayed via their conversations and Beckmeyer's animated, cut-paper illustrations, Cow notices that Tornado is seemingly unconcerned by the devastation it's causing and continues to try to engage, from showing understanding to seeking a cause for Tornado's upset--but nothing works. Progressively, though, Tornado tuckers out and, size-wise and ill-temper-wise, diminishes while Cow comforts and reassures. Finally, Tornado begins drifting away in wisps across a now-serene setting, with Cow remaining nearby. Though the story is geared toward younger ones, who may enjoy the offbeat pairing of Cow and Tornado and Beckmeyer's use of hyperbole, the scientific facts about tornadoes woven throughout the text will more likely appeal to older picture-book readers, who also may better understand the concepts and need for safety precautions. While the connection between Tornado's bad moods and human emotions isn't totally seamless, the boisterous story does nicely portray the ways intense weather (and moods) will eventually abate.

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Starred review from June 1, 2023

PreS-Gr 2-Tornado, feeling itself, tosses everything in its path, then picks up a cow as it angrily sweeps through the plains. Cow, unfazed, asks to be put down. In digital art with the look of paper cut-outs, the textures giving off a vibe of tumbleweeds and desert towns, a story unfolds that cannot be shelved just along science titles; add this one to the SEL collection, too. The cow, upside down and perhaps seeing stars, asks Tornado if it's okay. "WHY WOULD I NOT BE OKAY?" retorts Tornado, explaining that it is the spinning winds that give it power. The back and forth of the ensuing conversation, as Tornado picks up steam and then begins to lose it (the cow is getting heavier and heavier), perfectly encapsulates some of the physics behind a storm's force. Tornado, finally no more than a tiny bundle of breezes, asks as night falls if the cow will keep it company, for the end is near. And then the storm is over. The writing could not be more preschooler friendly, the subtext available for discussion among young elementary readers, and paired with a more fact-based book, this is a winning lesson for all kinds of turmoil. VERDICT With humor and grace, Beckmeyer's wide-eyed characters convey emotions bridging science topics and SEL, putting this whirlwind of a book within the grasp of readers across a broad age range.-Kimberly Olson Fakih

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