"This magical story of the bond that blossoms between an autistic boy who doesn’t always speak with words and his shell-collecting neighbour radiates empathy and the joy of friendship."
April 2024 Debut of the Month
Conjuring how it feels to be autistic, and how it feels to be friends with someone who has autism, Fiona Carswell’s The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind shares a springy story of understanding and the sheer joy of friendship.
“The boy next door SQUEAKS and WHOOPS and BOUNCES and FLAPS. And when he sees the sand and the sea he ROCKS and ROLLS. He doesn’t always speak in words.” The boy next door also “loves to lick the wind,” a sight that intrigues the narrator of this treasure, and so the boy’s mum suggests: “You should try it.”
To that end, the three of them spend a day at the beach, collecting shells and throwing stones into the sea. When the boy is distressed by his sandy sandwich, his mum explains that “sand in his mouth makes his brain feel wobbly.” Later, they have marvellous fun playing games together, and both enjoy the freeing feeling that comes from licking the wind.
Their happiness is infectious, and so too is the feeling of finding a friend, and understanding them. In fact, “it is the BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD. You should try it.” And what a delight it is when other children at school join their wind-licking fun.
Written in a warm, lucid style that’s well suited to sharing and reading aloud, Yu Rong’s compelling, high-contrast illustrations add further depth and emotion — all of which adds up to a book that will speak to all children in beautiful ways.
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The boy next door loves to lick the wind. “You should try it,” says his mum. “All the best winds are at the beach.” And so begins an amazing afternoon by the sea for two boys.
One doesn’t always speak with words and likes throwing stones – the other likes to collect shells and make sandcastles. But the sea works its magic and by the end of the day the boys discover they both love to lick the wind – together.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind and determined it is suitable for children aged 5-6 years old
The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind features in the following genres: Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, PSHE: Special educational needs and disability (SEND), Personal Social Health Economic (PSHE), Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Star Books, Stories about Family and Friends, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Featured Books for 5+ readers
The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind is available in Hardback
The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind was written by Fiona Carswell and published by Otter-Barry Books Ltd
The Boy Who Loves to Lick the Wind has 32 pages
£11.69
