Brother to the Wind

One of the joys of motherhood is watching what my children gravitate towards, watching them develop their own tastes and styles, their own interests.  Of course I expose them to all the things that I love (including specific books).  And I find particular pleasure when they form attachments to the same books that I do.  But they are their own person and it's such a marvel to see that.

In my own family my oldest daughter despises realistic fiction while my youngest daughter loves and is drawn to that genre.  My son was never a fan of the 19th-century fantasy I often read to him, but rather prefers non-fiction, especially books about nature and science.  I have one voracious reader, one who will only read if it particularly catches their fancy, and one who loves books, but is not a strong skilled reader.

I enjoy celebrating all of this!  It's become a mission finding the books that will interest my different kids (and swelling our library in the process!).  I get to learn from what they are reading,  become exposed to new books and authors through them.  And yes, sometimes I even have to let go and realize that there are books that I want them to adore, but they just don't.

Which brings me to this book by Mildred Pitts Walter.  Charlotte recently revealed that this was one of her favorites.  Although I adore anything illustrated by the Dillons, this book didn't grip me the way that it has apparently gripped Charlotte.  She often reads it aloud to me at night.  The story is told like an African folktale about a boy who wants to fly and the mystical advice he gets from Good Snake.  Though I wouldn't choose to read it multiple times, it's fun experiencing how much Charlotte loves it and enjoys it.

Brother to the Wind

Mildred Pitts Walter

pictures by Diane and Leo Dillon 1985