Island Storm – a Moment in Time

Lynn: In Brian Floca and Sydney Smith’s new book, Island Storm (Neal Porter/Holiday House, 2025), a boy and his small sister set out to “see the sea” as a large thunderstorm brews offshore of their island home. As the clouds gather and the wind increases, the pair, holding hands, push further and further along the coast, past boarded-up vacation homes and into the strangely empty town. At each pause, they push and pull each other and decide to go on. When a thunderous boom shakes the ground, the children turn and race for home as the wind picks up and the rain begins. Cold and wet, they see their mother, searching for them, and fling themselves into her arms. Safe, to be comforted and warmed as the storm rages. The concluding pages depict a calm, beautiful day that follows as the pair explores their beach together.

This gorgeous lyrical book is definitely one of the year’s best for me. Floca’s dynamic evocative text thunders with the sounds of the approaching storm, yet softens with the undercurrent of love and reassurance the children feel for each other and their home. That exciting, slightly scary feel of pushing boundaries is beautifully depicted, as is the undercurrent of a solid understanding of love and protection that surrounds them.

Sydney Smith, whom I deeply admire too, shines here with stunning watercolor and gouache illustrations, all with a deeply affective use of colors, perspectives, panels, and full-page designs. The two children are small against the towering storm, never quite sharply drawn, but clearly the focus of each page as they test their courage, always supporting each other.

Brilliant in every aspect, these two artists create a powerful snapshot of a brief experience, but one that reveals volumes about relationships, experiences, emotions, and childhood.