Noah Chases the Wind

by Michelle Worthington, Joseph Cowman (Illustrator)

Overview

Noah knew he was different. He could see things that others couldn't, like the patterns in the dust that floated down on sunbeams.

Noah is different. He sees, hears, feels, and thinks in ways that other people don't always understand, and he asks a lot of questions along the way. Noah loves science, especially the weather. His books usually provide him with the answers he needs, until one day, there's one question they don't answer—and that is where Noah's windy adventure begins.

Filled with rich, sweeping illustrations, this picture book celebrates the inquisitive nature of all children, including those on the autism spectrum, who cannot stop asking a question until an answer has been unearthed.

The book contains a page of information for parents, caregivers, and educators about the importance of helping children feel good about their differences and know that being different is okay.

Michelle Worthington was born in Brisbane, Queensland, and has lived there all her life. She is much-published author in Australia.

Joseph Cowman lives and paints in the hills and valleys of suburban Idaho. He is a long-standing member of the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators. He is the illustrator of six other Redleaf Lane books, including most recently, The Amazing Erik and Rita and the Firefighters.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781605543574
Publisher:	Redleaf Press
Publication date:	12/31/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD840L (what's this?)
File size:	27 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

About the Author

Michelle Worthington: Michelle Worthington was born in Brisbane, Queensland and has lived there all her life. She enjoys traveling and has spent time studying in France where she lived for a year. Winner of the 1988 Little Swaggie Award and other Australian bush poetry competitions, she has been published in numerous Australian and International poetry anthologies. She has published several books in Australia. Since a very early age, she has shown a love of words, and has always excelled at English and Creative Writing, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts from University of Queensland in 1996.

The stories she writes are like the stories she used to read when she was little with a modern twist. Her goal is to be a successful Australian author known for classically elegant, entertaining and compassionate stories for young children. She wrote Noah Chases the Wind for her oldest son and niece, who have both been diagnosed with autism.

Joseph Cowman: Joseph Cowman lives and paints in the hills and valleys of suburban Idaho. Joseph enjoys making school visits and giving students illustration lessons. He is a long-standing member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. He is the illustrator of Redleaf Lane's six Early Experiences picture books, and he is the illustrator of a 2011 book series published by Moonshoot. Joseph has also worked on several e-book applications and works on toy and environment design.

Read an Excerpt

Noah knew he was different.
He could see things that others couldn’t, like the patterns in the dust that floated down on sunbeams.

He could smell the green tang of the ants in the grass.

He could feel when a big storm was coming before the leaves on the trees started to tremble.

Noah liked to find out how things worked, where they came from, and where they went.
When he couldn’t understand, it hurt his head and heart.

His room was overflowing with books of every shape and size on every subject he could imagine. Noah loved books more than he loved toys.
His favorite were about science, especially the weather. They taught him why rain clouds looked so angry, why the air buzzed before lightning struck, and why his skin turned darker in the summer sun.

Yet search as he might, none of the books could tell him what he really wanted to know. He knew where the wind came from— but where did the wind go?

His mother was usually more helpful than his books, but she didn’t know either. “Why don’t you try finding the answer for yourself?”
Noah sat quietly with his back to the trunk of his biggest tree and waited for the wind to come.

Before the leaves on the trees started to tremble, Noah felt a stirring deep inside. He stood, his face to the sky, and felt the whooshing wind build and blow his hair into his eyes.
Noah took a deep breath. He was ready to chase the wind.

He followed the wind as it whistled down his street, blustering around buses and bicycles and whipping wrappers from the gutter.

He chased the wind as it glided over fountains, under bridges, and between people on the sidewalk.

He raced the wind as it picked up speed, building with the breeze from the beach and the heat from the highway, growing into a gale that lifted Noah off his feet.

Each stream of air became a different color, and Noah was lifted high above the clouds.
He floated on a blue billowing breeze as the winds whirled and twirled around him in a never-ending ribbon of rainbow.
The wind never stopped moving for a second.

Until eventually, slowly, the blue breeze sank to the ground and Noah could feel the familiar grass underneath his feet. With a brush of Noah’s cheek for good-bye, the wind was gone.
Noah sat still until the sun sank below the tops of the trees and his mother called him in for dinner.

“Where have you been?” she asked.
Noah gave her one of his most loving smiles and said, “I found out where the wind goes.”

A Note to Readers
Noah is a boy who sees the world differently. He’s sensitive and perceptive, and he asks questions many of us never consider. When he can’t find the answers to his questions, his head and his heart hurt.

Children who see the world differently, children whose instincts are different, sometimes struggle. They might not realize they see the world differently, much less understand how. They often don’t know what to do in social situations and are uncomfortable. Without a strong and accepting friendship group, they can become lonely. It’s the job of the grownups who care for and teach these children to help them feel good about their differences, and for all children to understand that being different is ok.

In Noah Chases the Wind, my hope is that children who see the world differently—sensitive children and children on the autism spectrum—will recognize a part of themselves in Noah. Sharing our stories helps show everyone that different is ok.

Editorial Reviews

"Noah has endless curiosity about how and why things work. . . . Cowman's gusty wisps show each stream of air turning a different jewel tone, swirling all around. . . . Worthington's sensitive exploration leaves readers with their own set of questions and perhaps gratitude for all types of perspectives.

An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way. "
—Kirkus Review

Noah Chases the Wind is about a little boy who has autism. Noah knows he is different. He acts, feels, and sees things differently than other kids. Noah likes to learn about new things and he wants to know where the wind goes. Noah decided he can find out where the wind goes if he chases the wind. The wind goes around the town. Then the wind picks Noah up and flies him high above the clouds. Noah learns where the wind goes.

I really loved Noah Chases the Wind. It reminds me of one of my friend who looks like Noah. He learns things a bit differently and also has autism. I am seven years old and am able to read this book on my own. The illustrations are great. The pictures are soft, colorful, and detailed. I liked going back and looking at the pictures. I loved the way the illustrator drew the wind. I wish we could really fly with the wind like Noah does.—Jewel, Age 7, San Francisco Book Review

From the Publisher

2015-02-03
A young boy sees things a little differently than others.Noah can see patterns in the dust when it sparkles in the sunlight. And if he puts his nose to the ground, he can smell the "green tang of the ants in the grass." His most favorite thing of all, however, is to read. Noah has endless curiosity about how and why things work. Books open the door to those answers. But there is one question the books do not explain. When the wind comes whistling by, where does it go? Noah decides to find out. In a chase that has a slight element of danger—wind, after all, is unpredictable—Noah runs down streets, across bridges, near a highway, until the wind lifts him off his feet. Cowman's gusty wisps show each stream of air turning a different jewel tone, swirling all around. The ribbons gently bring Noah home, setting him down under the same thinking tree where he began. Did it really happen? Worthington's sensitive exploration leaves readers with their own set of questions and perhaps gratitude for all types of perspective. An author's note mentions children on the autism spectrum but widens to include all who feel a little different. An invitation to wonder, imagine and look at everything (humans included) in a new way. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews