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Magpies, volume 34, March 2009.

As Rufus the bear lazes in the grass outside his cave, a cloud obstructs the sun and refuses to depart.  Rufus complains, but Cloud explains that Wind has left him stranded there.  Rufus decides to talk to Wind, and is immediately warned to be discreet in what he says because Wind can be so changeable …  one minute she’s gentle, but she can really get in a bluster … And Wind does get the huff and blows cloud way with the inevitable result that Rufus is soon longing for rain to ease the effect of the blistering temperatures.

Chris Liddiard’s digitally enhanced, delicate pencil and watercolour illustrations match this quaint little story.  The unusual repetition of a salient phrase accompanying each illustration heightens the impact of Rufus’ plight.

There is a quiet appeal in the narrative and the story could be useful to introduce very young children to the variability of weather.

Ellen Carter, Christchurch

Maria Gill’s blog site – KidsbooksNZ

Rufus the bear lay on the soft, springy grass outside his cave.  He was having a snooze and dreaming of having a nice hot cup of tea.  The sun was warm on his fur.  Rufus loved the sun best of all.

But a small cloud comes along and covers the sun.  So Rufus asks the wind to blow away the cloud and for the cloud and the wind to go away and stay away.

But without wind and without clouds and without rain, terrible things begin to happen…

Suitable for 4 to 6 year olds, especially for discussion about the weather.  A nice read aloud book, with beautiful watercolour illustrations.

Reading Time Vol 53 No 2

This is a timeless story of the problem of unintended consequences.  When Rufus the bear settles down for a lazy lie in the sun his relaxing sojourn is disrupted by a cloud that seems fixed in the sky, blocking the rays of the sun.  Rufus grumbles and tells both wind and cloud to get lost.  They do, but with enormous unintended consequences.  Climate change here is very local and Rufus is forced to rethink his hubris.  With the help of moon, order is restored and the interrelationship of nature established once again.  What makes this text particularly remarkable is the illustrations; delicate understatement and expressive watercolours (with copious use of white space) evokes pathos: those moments in the emotional life of Rufus as he comes to understand that he is part of and not above nature.  Timeless and beautifully done.  Recommended.

JMcK