Charlotte Zolotow uses questions to help the reader draw conclusions. 
Young children have inquisitve minds. They want to know, to learn how things work. In this book, When the Wind Stops, a young child asks his mother questions about life around him. Stefano Vitale‘s paintings creates a snapshot of a child’s imagination.
The text takes you though a time line of daily events. I have found that children often think they need to write about big events in their lives, when the every day activity holds a story. This rich text is an example of just that – learning from every day life and using your imagination to create more than what is really there.
Savorings for reading and in writing for When the Wind Stops:
- Setting lead – color description
- Time line of daily events
- Wondering book – questions are asked
- Circular or Cause/Effect movement – from here to there, and there to another place; something ends means beginning something new
- Teacher Resources – Charlotte Zolotow’s daughters set up her website, which is filled with resources. The pictures are wonderful for the children to see.
