Barnes & NobleI Am a Tornado by Drew Beckmeyer

Humor and heart

With thought and heart, this is a cute tale, which leaves a smile on the face and a tiny spin of thoughts to think about. This tornado is ready to destroy everything in its path. Violent and moody, it heads down its path, but when it runs into a cow, an unexpected conversation starts. The cow takes the time and patience to listen to the tornado...and might even be able to calm it down. These pages take a spot-on-glance at raging emotions, one which listeners/readers will have no problem identifying with. After all, who doesn't want to rip everything around them to shreds, at times? On the same hand, it's very easy to sympathize with the poor cow as it's caught up in the fury...completely innocent and in a very dangerous situation. This contrast is a clever way to have readers/listeners understanding both sides right away. Also, the cow takes the time and patience (despite being in a life-threatening position) to listen to the tornado and truly understand its position, which calms the tornado down to demonstrate how an open ear can work wonders. It's a powerful image with a clear message that sits. And just as important, it holds enough humor and fun to make it more than an enjoyable read. The illustrations and text balance into a lovey read-aloud. The text is simple. direct, and allows the person reading it out loud to a group to have quite a bit of fun (if desired). The images support the humor, while making the situations clear. It keeps everything entertaining and grabbing the entire way through. To top it off, there is a tiny bit of information about tornados woven in, too. It's a fun read aloud, which makes a good point. I received a DRC and found this well done.