I Am Wind: An Autobiography [Hardcover]

In this award-winning mock-autobiography for middle-grade readers, Wind tells fascinating stories that describe their cultural, historical and technical importance to humans.

Make no mistake: Wind is not shy or humble. Wind is violent, impulsive, arrogant and unpredictable — now playing with a kite, then tearing down a forest.  

With the help of diagrams and fact-filled sidebars, Wind explains what causes the air to move, describes their favorite forms (katabatics, hurricanes, tornadoes) and shows how they influence the landscape (sand dunes, wind power). Readers will come to know the full breadth of Wind's physical, historical and psychological presence. Moving seamlessly between science, history and myth, this book is an engrossing and unique look at an elemental force.Winner of the 2024 Science Writers and Communicators of Canada Book Award
A 2025 Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year
Shortlisted for the 2025 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award
A 2026–2027 Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, English Non-Fiction, Nominee

Juxtaposing a poetic narration of wind telling its own 'life story' with myths, folk traditions, historical vignettes, and the solid science behind wind's power and mystery, [I Am Wind] expresses an artistic and literary aesthetic not often seen in science texts for younger scholars. —STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal

Storm-swept illustrations carry a full bag of facts, myths, legends, and original poems about our planet's winds. Poliquin's free verse expressions alternate with short but clear explanations in prose and Wada's vivid, sometimes schematic depictions of types and causes of storms, from destructive katabatic winds to hurricanes and tornados. —&lº