DEAR ACORN (LOVE, OAK)

In this collaboration from Newbery Honor winner Sidman and two-time Caldecott Honor–winning Sweet, epistolary poems give voice to natural pairings in ecosystems and human-made environments—bubbles to sky, bricks to school, and more.

Comprising 16 poems, the collection blends various forms to capture a series of conversations, each revealing deep truths about interdependence and perspective. From the sandy shore comes a baby turtle’s rhyming plea: “Dear Ocean, / We’ve waited and watched / till the moon grows bright, / till the night grows cool / and the time is right.” In another, an oak reassures its acorn, calling it a “plump promise.” The book’s genius lies in Sidman’s ability to transform these everyday connections into profound exchanges, creating lyrical dialogues that will prompt readers to see the world through curious eyes. Sweet amplifies the verse with her signature mixed-media collages, strategically using color to establish emotional resonance and varying scale to emphasize the difference in size between each of the paired voices. Sweet’s layering of materials visually reinforces the theme of interconnectedness, with compositional choices that guide the eye between corresponding elements. Sidman concludes with accessible instructions for aspiring writers to create their own poems and correspondences—a thoughtful addition that extends the work’s impact beyond its pages. Humans depicted are diverse.

An imaginative and insightful masterpiece of poetic correspondence that invites readers to discover new connections.