Flood

The impact of a natural disaster on a family unfolds in wordless, digitally created spreads in this first book from Argentinean illustrator Villa. In a small house near an inland body of water, a mother and her two children enjoy leisure time in the living room; outside, however, the family's father glances skyward with concern. Dark clouds barrel toward the house on the following page, swallowing up the eerily yellow sky. With rosy cheeks and red noses, the family constructs a stone barrier around the house, secures the windows, and departs for a hotel. In ghostly sequences, the floodwaters invade the empty structure, tossing furniture and wrecking the lower levels. Upon the family's return, a moment of despair transitions quickly into productivity as they repair the damage. While the story's hopeful ending is reassuring, the rapidness and ease with which the house is rebuilt diminishes the impact of the storm somewhat. Nonetheless, the book is a useful resource for adults to use with children, especially given the damaging hurricanes in recent years. Ages 6-8. (Feb.)

K-Gr 3--This gripping story of loss and regeneration is told wordlessly through large, beautifully painted illustrations. The opening spread depicts an idyllic scene: blue sky, lush grass, and brother and sister playing outside their charming clapboard home at the edge of the water. But the next spread reveals gathering clouds in a red sky and an anxious parent looking over his shoulder as he installs storm windows. As the spreads progress, the clouds become black and roiling, rain pours down, and not even the sandbags they stack around the house assure the family's safety. They pack a few possessions into the car, and after regretful backward glances, drive to a hotel. Ensuing pages reveal the storm's fury as the sky blackens and waves crash inside the house, destroying furnishings and roaring threateningly toward the stairs. A bird perched on a broken branch stands out as a lone survivor. When the family returns, their grief is evident, but they move on to rebuild. Once again the scene is idyllic: contented parents look on as their children play outside the newly renovated home surrounded by freshly planted flowers and trees. This powerful story provides ample opportunities for youngsters to elaborate on the family's emotions as they experience the destruction of their home and ways in which they were able to cope with this loss. Matt Doeden's Floods (Pebble Plus, 2010) is a nonfiction explanation of floods and how they occur.--Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT