Cover of The Girl Who Loved the Wind by Jane Yolen

Girl Who Loved the Wind, The

THE GIRL WHO LOVED THE WIND

Illustrated by Ed Young

T. Y. Crowell 1972

ISBN #0-690-33100-2 Crowell hardcover

ISBN #0-690-33100-2 Harper hardcover

ISBN #0-690-04206-X Crowell paperback

ISBN #0-00-195286-2 Wm. Collins hardcover

ISBN #0-06-443088-X HarperTrophy paperback

An original fairy tale, this story is about a girl whose overprotective father tries to keep her from all things wicked, unhappy, trying, or real. At last the wind blows in over the garden wall and woos her, taking her into the ever-changing world. A fifth grader at the Smith College Campus School pointed out to me that this was autobiographical since my father was overprotective and my husband and I met when he came in through the window of my apartment in Greenwich Village during a wild party my roommates and I were throwing. (Wild, that is, for the 1960s.) The story begins “Once to the East” and Ed Young wanted to know where I meant it to be set. I wrote back: “To the East of me is Boston, but you can set it wherever you wish.” So he decided on Persia and did miniatures, an exquisite choice. The book won several art awards. There is a Brazilian edition which I have never seen and an Afrikaans called “Die Meisie wat vir die Wind lief.”

Received the 1973 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award (“Reserved for Distinguished books entitled to sit on the shelf with Alice In Wonderland.” Gold Cheshire Cat Seal) and was a 1973 Children’s Book Showcase Selection.

Recording: There is an audio recording of THE GIRL WHO LOVED THE WIND in the Open Court anthology “Collections for Young Scholars, Volume 4, Book 1” ISBN #0-8121-4243-0.

Article about writing the book: Wilson Library Journal “Setting a tale”

What reviewers have said:

  • “Yolen and Young have again joined creative forces and produced a treasure. The story has the grace and wisdom of a folk tale, the polish that usually comes from centuries of telling… The pages resemble leaves from a middle eastern illuminated manuscript. This exotic creation will stimulate imaginations and linger in children’s memories.”–Starred review SLJ
  • “The text and illustrations together attain a true picture book unity.”–Hornbook
  • “An unusual story and as in most of Ms. Yolen’s books, the prose is sheer poetry. Ed Young’s illustrations are hauntingly beautiful, each one an miniature gem.”– LA Times
  • “Lovely pictures with an Arabian Nights quality are formally framed and rich with intricate detail. The story has an eerie, legendary ambience and is taught in structure.” –Bulletin of the Children’s Book Center
  • “Thoroughly romantic, the tale is set, like some rare jewel in the Persianesque opulence of Ed Young’s collage-and-watercolor landscape.” –NYT Book Review