#973 of 1001 · March 31, 2023

Wind Child by Shirley Rousseau Murphy and the Dillons is a lyrical tale of wildness and freedom. Resshie is the daughter of a mortal woman and the east wind. When she comes of age, she leaves her village and earns a living by weaving marvelous, stormy cloth. Her otherworldly fabric delights all who see it, and she does not want for buyers. Lonely in her daily existence, Resshie resolves to find a husband. She fashions a human out of rushes and vines and names him Summer, but he soon withers and fades away like the season itself. Then she creates a man out of wool and names him Ormond, but he dries out and crumbles. Then she traps a mortal hunter named Clay, but he yearns for his freedom, and she lets him go. One day, a mysterious prince arrives at Resshie’s cottage, having heard of her skill and artistry. The young woman proposes a wager: she will create a tapestry that shows the noble youth’s true likeness, and in return he will offer his hand in marriage. With her marvelous weaving, she reveals her suitor as an elemental being, and two of them take to the skies in glorious union. Murphy’s text rings with wondrous descriptive language. Married collaborators Leo and Diane Dillon provide a lush palette of silvery blues and greens that evokes the wind itself. Their son Lee Dillon interprets the story and characters through sculptures, photographed and reproduced on each page. #wind #child #weave #weaving #woven #tapestry #prince #magic #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks