"The minimalist approach to text complements the measured, masterful panel pacing; whole spreads are wordless, forcing the reader to slow down and follow the the visual details of the action. Phelan's use of color is simply stunning... The emotional landscape is equally well-developed... The potenst subtext informs both Jack's climactic showdown with the rain figure and the book's tender, triumphant resolution." - The Horn Book (STAR)

"Phelan turns every panel of this little masterpiece into a spare and melancholy window into another era, capturing an unmistakable sense of time and place...Great for a wide range of readers, this will work particularly well as a gentle introduction for those new to graphic novels or as an elegant argument on the format's behalf against dubious naysayers." –Booklist (STAR)

"The pencil-and watercolor panels are cinematically framed and often wordless, advancing the plot and delineating character with careful strokes...This is not to be missed." – Kirkus Review (STAR)

"Children can read this as a work of historical fiction, a piece of folklore, a scary story, a graphic novel, or all four...A complex but accessible and fascinating book. –School Library Journal (STAR)

"The spare, sketchy lines and soft washes of the mixed-media illustrations underscore the haziness of the dust filled air; it's a toss-up whether the rolling black dust clouds or the shadowy half-human form of the Storm is more of the threat... With its appealing format and touch of fantasy, this tale of coming of age in hard times will entice readers who may otherwise be indifferent to historical fiction." – Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (STAR)