The Boy and the Wild Blue Girl

Negley (Mary Wears What She Wants) animates his exploration of early wind power with breezy energy, drawing the wind as an exuberant blue girl in dungarees whose perpetual motion blows hats off, scatters leaves and flowers, and tangles kite strings: “Everyone thought the wild blue girl was a nuisance.” Crisp, confident colored pencil and collage artwork shows townspeople with their hair awry and their clothing askew as the girl tears through with a friendly smile on her face. A boy named Poul sees her worth, understanding the possibilities that her power offers: “We just need to show them.” She stands right next to him as he studies the problem in various ways, then erects a great tower above the town’s buildings. Once the propellers are up, the wild blue girl takes to the air, and the townspeople stare open mouthed with amazement as the blades begin spinning. Negley has a gift for distilling action into kinetic lines and figures; though readers won’t come away with an understanding of how wind turbines work, this maker story conveys the excitement of discovery and the simplicity of Poul’s innovative idea. An afterword gives further details about Poul la Cour, a 19th-century Danish inventor. Ages 4–8. [em](Apr.) [/em]