20 LITTLE POEMS FOR 20 LITTLE GNOMES

Poems of nature and togetherness fill the pages of this picture book with rhythm, rhyme, and warm emotions.

Beginning with a poem that celebrates outdoor experiences and friendship, “Here With You,” this collection offers rhymes about the joys of golden delicious apples, the delights of hugs, the cures for sadness, and the wonder of a good book. Descriptions of the natural world are strongly featured in the quiet spaces of “Between the Sun and Moon” and the gathering of boysenberries in “Boys in Berries.” Though the pieces occasionally venture into the fantastic, there are no gnomes here—until an endnote discloses that the poems, while meant for gnomes, “are also intended for children.” Howell’s whimsical, caring tone permeates the volume, especially in rhymes that emphasize supporting another person, as in “Should You Fall,” which begins: “Should you fall silent, / I will sing you, / if you’re empty, / I will bring you / all of me.” Many of the poems are only a few lines long, making them approachable for young readers, who may enjoy the way some unfamiliar vocabulary words come together in the stanzas (“nectar nuggets”). Tarcan captures the poems’ fanciful natures in digital cartoon illustrations that mix watercolor and colored-pencil textures. A lovely, somewhat abstract night scene emphasizes the quiet of “Between the Sun and Moon,” while a White child falling through a hole into a book heightens the humor of “Let’s Go!”

A lovely mix of kindhearted poems sure to appeal to young readers.