Storm-Cat
For ages 3+
Arwel learns to talk about his stormy feelings.
By Magenta Fox (Puffin, 2024)
With numerous board books for babies and toddlers published by Nosy Crow under her belt as a book designer (Pekaboo series, Felt Flaps series, Pip and Posy and more), ‘Storm-Cat’ is the debut picture book from the illustrator of Zadie Smith and Nick Laird's ‘Weirdo’ (Puffin, 2021/2), Magenta Fox. I really, REALLY, love Magnta’s artistic style - kind of reminding me of the never-ending cuteness of Sylvanian Families figurines. There is so much attention to detail in Magenta’s drawings, brilliant for children who love to search around the pages spotting things, pointing and naming items. Also great for readers to take time reading the story to help children to discover the illustrations and connect the story to the characters and their emotions.
Stormy feelings are nature’s way of letting us know that things aren’t ok. Young Arwel is at Granny’s windmill house by the seaside. One morning Tuft, also staying or living with Granny, who seems to be older than Arwen heads leaves after breakfast, which causes all sorts of sad, confused, lonely and angry emotions to arise in Arwel. Everything Arwel tries to do just goes wrong, and playtime isn’t fun at all!
The more Arwel gets upset, the more the weather starts to mysteriously get worse and worse. Rain, clouds, wind, seawater swells, and lightening all wreak havoc on the cosy windmill home and garden. Understanding that Arwel perhaps cannot hide from his feelings any longer, he tells Granny that he thinks that the strange extreme weather might be all his fault! Granny comforts Arwel and helps to prepare him to face his scary storm-cat…
With a lasting heartwarming message of talking about how helpful it is to talk about our feelings with someone we trust, embracing feelings - acceptance and practicing self-care with some metaphorical warm hugs, our storm-cat (or storm-human) clouds can all be fill with rainbows once more.
I wish there’d been a hardback of this first… I bet it would have had the most adorable artwork and end papers…
Reviewed from self-purchased hardback copy.
