LET’S FIND IT!
My First Nature Guide
by Katya Arnold & illustrated by Katya Arnold
Two dozen plants and animals are hidden in plain sight on each page of this nearly wordless picture book. Thumb-sized plants and animals are painted and labeled against a white background on the left-hand page, while they appear as part of a fully developed watercolor painting on the right-hand page. The author invites children to find the plants and animals in the paintings while following a dog and cat that are exploring nature inside and outside in the city and country, in a meadow, pond, forest, and at the beach. Both common and unusual plants and animals are included. City dwellers will notice the pigeon, starling, and squirrel, while in the woods they are shown a bear, deer, fox, and porcupine. Flowers include Queen Anne’s Lace, thistle, chicory, and pokeweed as well as jack-in-the-pulpit and trees like the white spruce. Some illustrations are more successful than others. The sparrow is recognizable, but the mouse is not, and the bats and children are awkwardly drawn. The author concludes with more information on plants and animals and identifies those that appear on each page, giving common names. An entertaining first-look for nature lovers. (Nonfiction. 3-6)