- Picture Books
- Ages 5–9
- Nature
Wild is the Wind
Book 2 of 4 in The ElementsView the full series
A poetic, visually sweeping exploration of wind as it travels around the globe. A strong companion to The Rhythm of the Rain for children interested in weather, migration, nature and invisible forces.
- Best for5–9
- FormatPicture
- Length40 pp
- Read aloud~8 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Lyrical
- Literary
Tone
- Gentle
- Adventurous
- Thought provoking
- Inspirational
Themes
- Nature and environment
- Migration and displacement
- Cycle of life
- Science and curiosity
- Gratitude
- Discovery
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Wild is the Wind follows the wind's restless path around the world, showing how an invisible force can shape landscapes, carry seeds, move weather and connect distant places. Grahame Baker-Smith turns a scientific idea into an expansive visual journey, using rich, dramatic artwork to make air, movement and atmosphere feel tangible. The book has a loose narrative feel rather than a conventional character plot, and it is best read as a poetic science picture book. It invites children to think about forces they cannot see directly but can observe through their effects: bending trees, flying birds, moving clouds and changing seasons. It belongs in the high-quality nature-picture-book lane: artful, educational, classroom-friendly and especially good for children who enjoy big natural systems presented with wonder.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 5–9
- Read aloud · 4–9
- Independent · 6–10
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
5 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Weather
- Wind
- Beautiful science
- Nature journey
- Classroom read
Avoid if
- Wants funny story
- Wants strong character plot
- Prefers realistic family stories
Particularly good for children who are…
- Interested in science
- Interested in art and creativity
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Lyrical, gorgeous picture books about earth, air, fire and water — a beautiful companion for science and nature topics, rich for vocabulary.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the invisible force — wind bending trees and carrying seeds and moving clouds and connecting distant places, an unseen thing made visible through what it does. The Baker-Smith picture book that turns weather into a global journey.
- Adventure and freedom
- Making a difference
Why parents love it
The Grahame Baker-Smith companion to The Rhythm of the Rain — wind as the through-line, dramatic atmospheric illustration making air tangible, classroom-friendly poetic science. Strong for big-natural-system-loving children.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Educational for adult too
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
In the series
The Elements.
4 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Grahame Baker-Smith.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
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