Mina and the Sky-Loom

I wanted to love this more than I did. There are so many charming details — the miller’s boy shaking out his hands, Laleh’s scarves made from sails, the dragon kite with felt teeth — that make the world feel handcrafted. Yet the central conflict is handled a bit simplistically. The idea of a net trapping song is beautiful and evocative, but the mechanics aren’t explored: why would someone weave a net to trap song, and how does freeing a sky-loom restore community listening beyond a single celebratory scene? The climax with Mr. Bramble ends up feeling more like an obstacle removed than a meaningful change in relationships. Pacing is uneven; the beginning sparkles but the middle rushes to the reveal, then wraps up almost immediately. For older kids in the 10–11 range there may be expectations for a bit more complexity in character motivation and consequences. That said, younger readers will likely enjoy the imagery and the satisfying finale of the wind returning. A vivid little story that could have benefited from deeper questions about why the wind — and songs — matter.

This story felt like a warm breeze on a cliff morning — utterly lovely. The opening scene (salt and warm flour! the groaning windmills!) drew me in immediately; I could almost taste the sea and hear Tock’s tiny ticking. Mina is a wonderfully alive main character: curious, brave, and practical with her ribbon-kite hair tie and her habit of “smelling the air” like Old Laleh taught her. I adored the small, specific moments — Tock pecking the kite frame, Finn with his shy-crab hand around an apple, Laleh arranging spools like “little round cats.” The idea of a net that traps song, and the sky-loom being freed, is magical and original, and Mr. Bramble’s carefulness adds tension without scaring younger readers. The community of Norridge feels real and full of texture. This is a gentle adventure that celebrates listening and creativity; perfect for bedtime or classroom read-alouds. I can already see kids wanting their own clockwork bird. 💙

As an admirer of finely tuned children’s fantasy, I appreciated how Mina and the Sky-Loom balances whimsy with a clear narrative arc. The setup is economical: we meet the town, the stakes (the wind vanishes), and the protagonist’s particular skill — she can fly anything with a string. The wind-compass and whisper thread from Laleh are nice bits of low-magic worldbuilding that feel tactile and believable; they also function as tools for Mina’s agency rather than deus ex machina. I liked the moral throughline about listening — freeing the sky-loom isn’t just restoring weather, it’s restoring a way of attending to the community’s sounds and stories. Scenes like Mina testing the breeze by smell and Tock’s clockwork chirps lend real sensory life, which is essential for ages 7–11. Pacing is brisk; the confrontation with Mr. Bramble provides a focused climax, and the final return of the wind has emotional payoff. All told, a tidy, imaginative middle-grade tale with heart and craft.

Cute concept, but I found it a bit too neat for my tastes. The setup — the wind disappearing right before the festival — is a solid hook, but the solution (get a wind-compass, follow threads, confront one careful man) plays out like a checklist rather than a real puzzle. Mr. Bramble’s carefulness is an interesting character trait, but his motives didn’t land for me; the reveal about the net that traps song felt rushed and didn’t have the emotional weight it needed. Also, Tock is adorable, sure, but his clockwork nature raises questions the story never bothers to answer: how does he sense things? Who made him? For a children’s tale that leans into mystery, there’s not enough nuance in the middle sections — it hops from scene to scene without letting moments breathe. I enjoyed the atmosphere (that cliff morning is lovely), but the plot felt a little too predictable and tidy. 🙂

Short and sweet: this was a joy. The imagery—kites tugging like puppies, ribbons like seaweed—makes Norridge feel cozy and alive. Mina is a terrific heroine for young readers: resourceful, kind, and a little bit stubborn in the best way. I especially loved Laleh’s shop and the whisper thread scene; it’s the perfect tiny-magic moment that sparks wonder. The clockwork bird Tock is adorable and practical, and the emotional beat when Mina frees the sky-loom felt satisfying but not overwrought. Great for kids who love kites, seaside adventures, and gentle mysteries. Would read aloud to a classroom or my niece any day.