''Mirandy and Brother Wind'' is a 1988 children's picture book by

Patricia McKissack Patricia C. McKissack (''née'' Carwell; August 9, 1944 – April 7, 2017) was a prolific African-American children's writer. She was the author of more than 100 books, including Dear America books '' A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a ...

and illustrated by

Jerry Pinkney Jerry Pinkney (December 22, 1939 – October 20, 2021) was an American illustrator and writer of children's literature. Pinkney illustrated over 100 books since 1964, including picture books, nonfiction titles and novels. Pinkney's works addresse ...

. It is about a girl, Mirandy, who attempts to catch the wind so he will be her partner for the upcoming junior

cakewalk The cakewalk was a dance developed from the "prize walks" (dance contests with a cake awarded as the prize) held in the mid-19th century, generally at get-togethers on black slave plantations before and after emancipation in the Southern Unit ...

Reception

The ''

School Library Journal ''School Library Journal'' (''SLJ'') is an American monthly magazine containing reviews and other articles for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, wi ...

'' in a review of ''Mirandy and Brother Wind'' described the illustrations as "Sultry watercolor washes in a realistic flowing style spread luxuriously and consistently over every two pages.." and concluded "A captivating story, with a winning heroine, told in black dialect." ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'', in a starred review, wrote "As she did in ''Flossie and the Fox'', McKissack has created in Mirandy a character full of vigor, humor, and imagination. Pinkney captures the liveliness of the story in his expansive paintings, dappled with impressionistic hues;" and ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of ...

'' wrote "Told in spirited dialect and rendered in lavish, sweeping watercolors, this provides an intriguing look at a time gone by. As a story, however, it proves somewhat disappointing. After the colorful description of cakewalking in the author's note and the anticipation created through Mirandy's own eagerness, the brief and rather static scenes portraying the dance itself are a letdown." It has been made into a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

for young audiences. The play, by librettist Michael J. Bobbitt and composer/lyricist John L. Cornelius II, received its debut at

Adventure Theatre Adventure Theatre (AT) is the longest running children's theatre in the Washington, D.C. area. Located in Glen Echo Park in Glen Echo, Maryland, it has been holding performances since 1951, and educating children in creative drama since 1978. H ...

in metropolitan Washington, D.C., in January 2011.

Awards

*1989

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

- honor *1989 Coretta Scott King Book Illustration Award - winner

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mirandy and Brother Wind) 1988 children's books American picture books Picture books by Jerry Pinkney Caldecott Honor–winning works Books by Patricia McKissack Coretta Scott King Award–winning works