Review by Alicia L’Archevêque
Simon and Schuster, May 2023
56 pages, Hardcover, $23.99 CAD, 9781665916981
Picture Book, Ages 4-8
Fiction
Nimbus didn’t know why she couldn’t be sunny all the time. It seemed so easy for everyone else.
To feel – without remorse or shame – can be frightening, especially when those feelings are alienating. To do so requires courage, and it is books like these that have the power to inspire it.
Written and illustrated by Jessie Sima, Weather Together demystifies difficult emotions in a way that’s both endearing and unexpectedly poignant. While telling a tale of friendship between two very different unicorns, this book molds its subtle wisdom into metaphors that can guide young readers as they learn to confront the dark clouds they may find over their own heads.
Nimbus and Kelp are two unicorns that come from different worlds, and carry with them very different “weather.” Kelp appears sunny and upbeat all of the time, while Nimbus often finds herself sulking in the shadow cast by the dark cloud above her head. In fear of dulling their time together, Nimbus tries everything to stifle her stormy weather. Inevitably, her cloud soon grows until it cannot be ignored, left in the dust, or bottled up. Nimbus must then gather her courage to face her cloud and accept support from loved ones who’d like to get to know her weather too.
Sima’s illustrations are truly the heart of this book. Bright and playful colours surround Kelp, contrasting the dark and stormy shapes that loom over Nimbus. Not only does this make for a visually interesting picture book, but this illustration of the internal differences between the two unicorns makes Weather Together ’s plot more accessible to its younger audiences. It is through the illustrations that friends braving tough times together become a shared umbrella under pouring rain, bringing an already vibrant text to life.
This picture book struck me with its relevance to readers outside of the targeted age group. As I read this book to my (adult) loved ones, I could almost see them relax as its message embraced them; you don’t have to face tough times alone. Jessie Sima dedicates this book to Justin and Lizzy, “who don’t shy away from the rainbows or the clouds” – I can attest that Weather Together inspires its big and little readers to do just that.
Alicia L’Archevêque loves to write, talk about movies, dance with friends, and climb trees in good company. She is an art student at UBC and a swimmer on the school’s varsity team.
YOUNG ADULTING 