Whisper on the Wind

As Ren sleeps, the whisper of her dream is carried by the wind and the waves across the sea to a sailor who is working far away. On catching it, the sailor turns for home to answer the whisper in the dream and is home in time for them to spend the day together.

Told in the cumulative tale style, the lyrical text follows the whisper of Ren’s dream on its journey across the ocean. This style of telling works perfectly for this story as it feels almost like the lapping of the waves against Ren’s lighthouse home taking her dream to the sailor who, although never identified, we suppose to be her mother. Ren’s gender is never specified and the illustration showing Ren asleep in bed has a picture on the wall of a woman holding a baby so the story could hold personal relevance to children in many different situations.

The illustrations are quite enchanting and full of wonder. Ren’s dream is depicted as a message in a bottle, encountering real and imagined creatures of the sea on its way. Watched over by the moon as it makes its journey, the bottle is helped on mermaids and whales, fish and dolphins until it reaches the sailor who finds joy in its contents, understanding its meaning and following its call to return home.

‘Whisper on the Wind’ shows the power of love to unite us with those we hold dear wherever they might be, making it a comforting bedtime story, particularly for those who are separated due to work.

Whisper on the Wind Claire Saxby, illustrated by Jess Racklyeft

Allen and Unwin ISBN: 978-1911679387