The Match Between the Winds

The Match Between the Winds

In the sky above Borneo, the East Wind and the West Wind engage in a contest to see which of them can move Kodok the tree frog from his palm tree Grade 1 Up-- This tale is slight, but appealing to the eye. When the harsh West Wind awakens his milder cousin in the east, hoping to make some mischief, the East Wind challenges him to blow Kodok, the tiny tree frog, from his palm tree. Although the West Wind blows up a mighty typhoon, greatly disturbing the island's flora and fauna, it is the East Wind's gentle, calming breeze that causes the little frog to loosen his hold on the leaf and settle into the soft mud below for a nap. The bright, jewel-toned watercolor and gouache paintings that nearly fill each page have dominant hues of blue and green, creating a tropical mood. While most scenes of the island and the winds are painted in a dreamlike, impressionist style, those that illustrate the storm show distorted animals, birds, and people. One such painting of several people floating with animals in a torrent of water is a bit disturbing. Although a contest between the winds is a common folktale theme, the source of this retelling is not given. --Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. The jacket calls this a folktale from Borneo, while LC classifies it as fiction. Whichever, it's an appealing story similar to ``The North Wind and the Sun,'' with the fierce West Wind stirring up the sea and letting loose a typhoon in an effort to dislodge a little tree frog from his leaf--a small feat more easily achieved by his cousin, the East Wind, with a gentle breeze like a lullaby. Using rich, tropical colors, Shepherd contrasts the sharp-toothed, tempestuous West Wind and his turbulent wake with his cousin's amiable cloud-face and the sunny serenity he restores. Extra local color (mostly descriptions of wildlife) makes this a bit long, but it's entertaining enough to sustain attention. (Picture book. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.