The Heart of the Storm
Teresa Heapy and Kate Read
Otter-Barry Books

Ruby the fox and Growl the wolf live not far from one another deep in the forest and they’re sworn enemies.
One day a fierce storm hits the forest, ripping branches from trees and hurling them to the ground causing all the animals including Ruby and Growl to run for cover. Then suddenly Ruby trips. After a brief altercation between the two, a tree trunk is damaged and the tree begins to fall. Ruby grabs at Growl’s fur and just manages to pull him out of the way as the tree crashes to the ground.

The erstwhile enemies decide to stick together, temporarily at least. With Ruby on Growl’s back, they travel through dangerously muddy terrain with Ruby giving directions and Growl struggling onwards, eventually skidding and slithering towards a huge tree. Using her paws, Ruby manages to hold on while also grabbing a branch and bringing them to a halt, temporarily. But then a powerful river wave causes Ruby to lose her grip on Growl’s coat and she’s sent spinning upstream in the wind. Growl turns and begins swimming towards her. Still clinging to a branch Ruby, Ruby tells Growl to leave her behind but Growl pays no heed. “Jump, Ruby!” comes his urgent voice

and so she does, right into Growl’s outstretched paws.

Finally the rain stops, dawn breaks in the forest bringing with it promise, hope and appreciation and love between Ruby and Growl forever ridding them of their enmity, and now they live happily together.

Teresa Heapy’s descriptions of the events really make readers feel that they’re caught up in the storm along with the two protagonists, while Kate Read’s collage style illustrations capture the drama of Teresa’s telling brilliantly in this enemies become friends story of courage and kindness.