The wind and we

Before you came
I didn’t know
Who you would be,
What you would look like,
How you would sound, smell, move ...

- Warm, poetic and playful story about growing up and letting go
- Breathtaking interaction between text and image
- The illustrations won international prizes before publication: ca award of Excellence, Honorable Mention 3x3 Magazine New York

Rights sold: French

A book filled with love, about growing up and raising somebody. About letting go and giving little nudges in the right direction, time and time again. About the wind that carries us along, and makes our hair flutter.

Themes: growing up, letting go

Reviews:
'The wind and we is by no means a predictable or average picture book. The predominantly gray tones of the illustrations and the particularly evocative text differ greatly from popular picture books in Europe or the US. That divergence, among other things, makes the book intriguing.'(Jan van Coillie, MappaLibri, January 2021)

'With a sigh, a breeze and sometimes a whirlwind of imagery and language, this beautifully atmospheric story surprises.' (Wonderland by Alice, 2021)

'With austere but poignant words, Jong captures an entire life (and more than that) in a pithy text that plays perfectly with emotion and recognition while far transcending it. The striking words touch you and appeal to your own imagination and feelings.' (Eric Vanthillo, Pluizuit, February 2021)

'In poetic language, the story of finding each other and being connected is told very beautifully.' (website Leesplezier.net)

'The softly colored illustrations speak volumes on the one hand and provide evocative imagery on the other.' (website Leesplezier.net)

'Beautiful circular narrative about connecting and letting go in a beautiful interplay between the poetic text and the expressive images. Using a limited color palette of black-and-white-gray and yellow and orange accents, the story is depicted with fine pencil drawings.' (NBD Biblion, March 2021)

'The illustrations of this picture book won international awards even before publication.' (NBD Biblion, March 2021)