Island Storm by Brian Floca and Sydney Smith

This is a picture book about a storm rolling in, building momentum to a maximum crescendo, and then gradually ebbing. The author was inspired by a storm that he experienced on one of the many islands off the coast of Maine, but it has the look and feel of a Midwest storm as well, where you can see it, feel it, and smell it brewing. The sky changes color in the blink of an eye, the atmosphere crackles with electricity, the rain tumbles down with ferocity, and the sky is black. And then just as suddenly it ebbs and within an hour the sun is out again. This is about two children who sense that beginning to happen and they purposely go out into it. The illustrations for this are spectacular, and while the author is a gifted illustrator himself, he opted for another, and these illustrations really hit the mark. It is a really well done picture book.