When the Wind Blows
A Rhyming, Renewable Energy Adventure for Kids
A Rhyming, Renewable Energy Adventure for Kids
Dylan and I learned about offshore windmills when visiting Cape Cod in 2004.
Growing up, my son, Dylan, would ask me at least 100 questions a day. Answering them was the most fun I've ever had because my answers inevitably led to more of his amazing questions! Reading together included more inquiries about the world and more conversations about how things work. But there was one time of the day when we both preferred to just read the words of a book and marvel at the pictures. These tales signaled bedtime by slowing down the pace of the text with rhyming stanzas and big, persuasive illustrations that pulled us into the story. Inevitably, by the last page of one of these bedtime pleasers, Dylan's eyes would close as he turned to fall fast asleep. I recognized the magic in those lyrical stanzas and wanted to create them myself.
Dylan catching the wind in 2008
In 2004, after learning about the Cape Wind project's goal of building 130 offshore wind turbines in Nantucket Sound, I decided to write a story to help kids understand how wind turbines make renewable electricity. Writing a draft is one thing. Getting the story just right right is another. I attended a lot of writing conferences and workshops, asked friends who were published authors to offer me their suggestions and I spoke to a lot of super smart science dudes, like Dr. J, because I knew he'd make sure that the facts were right. During Dylan's five summers away at camp, he learned how to harness the wind himself! He even became a sailing instructor.
Dylan's High School photo. He was Editor of his school's paper, The ReMarker.
When Dylan began high school, When the Wind Blows remained an unpublished story buried somewhere on my desk. I decided that I needed more help to get my story published, so, in 2012, I flew to Mexico over Valentine's Day weekend for the San Miguel d'Allende Book Festival. And I am so glad I did! When I arrived, there were writers, editors and agents everywhere and I was lucky to meet Andy Ross, who read my story and liked it. Just a week later, I heard from Andy that he had found a publisher who liked it too. Thanks to Andy and Holiday House Books, When the Wind Blows finally made its way to bookstores and libraries!
So, in 2015, just as my Dylan grew up, graduated from high school and headed to college, the story that I began to write when he was just a little boy finally made its way through the publishing pipeline! I guess that I kind of graduated too. :-)
Dylan is still just as curious as ever. He's now working as a coder in Seattle, WA, where he loves to hike and kayak. When I am lucky enough to visit him, we like to ride along Puget Sound, explore the San Juan Islands and discover great food up and down the Washington coastline.
So, in 2015, just as my Dylan grew up, graduated from high school and headed to college, the story that I began to write when he was just a little boy finally made its way through the publishing pipeline! I guess that I kind of graduated too. :-)
Dylan is still just as curious as ever. He's now working as a coder in Seattle, WA, where he loves to hike and kayak. When I am lucky enough to visit him, we like to ride along Puget Sound, explore the San Juan Islands and discover great food up and down the Washington coastline.
Here I am touring the San Juan Islands with Dylan in 2019. This is Orca Island.
The state of Washington, just south of Canada and north of Oregon, generates a lot of renewable electricity from hydropower, which will be one of the six renewable energy sources in my second children's book.
My new book, Planet Power: Explore the World's Renewable Energy, illustrated by Annalisa Beghelli, will be released in 2021 by Barefoot Books. You can check it out soon onmy other author site, StacyClarkBooks.com.
When the Wind Blows:
A #wind spill is a good day for #sailing!
