pinwheels.

Yesterday I made pinwheels to celebrate my mom’s latest children’s book launch. Like other things ostensibly made to delight children, pinwheels are silly and sweet and also a little bit magical. In other words, they’re something an adult could get lost in playing with should they give themselves the time. I used a square of marbleized paper I’ve been hoarding for a good five years now and a square of painted paper leftover from from my color testing. This morning, when I wasn’t annoyed that I couldn’t perfectly capture their spins on video, I spent five minutes just watching them turn in the sunshine.

If anyone wants to try their hand at pinwheel making, my mom is hosting a zoom story time at 4:00 pm ET this afternoon and she’ll be leading the group in a little pinwheel-making tutorial. (And if you’d like to toss your hat in the ring, we’re giving away a copy of her breezy new book on my Instagram page.)

HEAR THE WIND BLOW is the story of a rising and falling windstorm at a place by the sea. It’s a poetic and science-based depiction of the Beaufort wind force scale with cheerful illustrations by artist, Emily Paik. As with most everything my mom makes, the book is science plus art and a hearty dash of whimsy.

If you’re around this afternoon, sign up here to join us! If you’d like to purchase a personalized copy of the book, you can order through my hometown bookstore, RJ Julia. My mom’s on her back porch as I write this, signing books to the sound of her wind chimes.