When the Wind Blew

by Margaret Wise Brown, Geoffrey Hayes (Illustrator)

An old lady living alone by the sea finds joy and comfort from her seventeen cats and especially one small blue-grey kitten.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

30 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1937

About the author

Margaret Wise Brown wrote hundreds of books and stories during her life, but she is best known for Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Even though she died nearly 70 years ago, her books still sell very well.

Margaret loved animals. Most of her books have animals as characters in the story. She liked to write books that had a rhythm to them. Sometimes she would put a hard word into the story or poem. She thought this made children think harder when they are reading.

She wrote all the time. There are many scraps of paper where she quickly wrote down a story idea or a poem. She said she dreamed stories and then had to write them down in the morning before she forgot them.

She tried to write the way children wanted to hear a story, which often isn't the same way an adult would tell a story. She also taught illustrators to draw the way a child saw things. One time she gave two puppies to someone who was going to draw a book with that kind of dog. The illustrator painted many pictures one day and then fell asleep. When he woke up, the papers he painted on were bare. The puppies had licked all the paint off the paper.

Margaret died after surgery for a bursting appendix while in France. She had many friends who still miss her. They say she was a creative genius who made a room come to life with her excitement. Margaret saw herself as something else - a writer of songs and nonsense.

Reviews

[Ginny Messina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most people think of *Good Night Moon* when they hear the name Margaret Wise Brown. I think of *When the Wind Blew*. It's her best book--a charming and sweet tale that will win the heart of any devoted cat mom. Sadly, it is out of print and hard-to-find.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, simple little story with the perfect, mini trim-size. I wish they would make more pocket-sized picturebooks these days for the small hands they are intended for.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this over and over again to my children. It is an enchanting and reassuring story about her relationships with her cats who keep her company as she lives alone. An all-time favorite!

[Juushika · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Hayes edition.) As always, books about cats don't age well; I'll never not be grumpy about outdoor cats. But I still love this. It's very cat-true: the clowder has its daily routine, orbiting around their person; they're very tactile (I love the pg 17 herding cats illustration); and the ending, "The old lady looked around; and there, curled by the side of her face, purring just as hard as he could, was her little blue grey kitten. Just as good as a fur-covered hot water bottle." - the cutest thing, but not too cutesy, not out of true for a cat and their person in need. This isn't the lost gem of picture books, it's barely for children, with its old lady and cats and toothache - but it's definitely for me.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute read. Good story. Great memories.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An old lady finds comfort in her seventeen cats when things don’t go her way. A great story for cat people.

[Georgina Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story for all cat lovers! The story has cute illustrations, and the plot is very soothing. The old lady is very loving to her cats, and the cats are loving to her as well. This book was one of many bedtime stories that I enjoyed as a child. Perfect for young readers.

[Jennifer Heise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but slight.

[Ian McHugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The old old lady should see a dentist...