Deceptively simple but clever and effective for the pre- and primary school nature shelves.
Thirty short poems celebrate what might be seen in the “air we share” around the world in this Canadian import.
From a rosy dawn to moonlit night, Heidbreder lyrically limns the sunshine, clouds, northern lights, and snowflakes; the insects, birds, and bats; and even human contributions, including helicopters, paragliders, and fireworks—examples of “sky’s treasures” we see and share. His quatrains are simply titled and carefully arranged, not only across the day, but in clear pairs: wind and leaves, squirrels and starlings on electric wires, kites and birthday helium balloons (tethered but still unfortunate in a collection celebrating the environment). A longtime writer of poetry for young people, this Canadian author makes the rhyming, alliteration, and scansion seem effortless, and the verbs do double duty. A dragonfly’s “gleaming wings / glitter the air”; a “rumbling storm train / thunders the sky.” The imagery is memorable: “Black on black, / swish-soft swirls. / Night bats feast / in whirling twirls.” Dove’s colorful illustrations support the title’s message, showing children with varying skin tones, hair, and head coverings in a wide variety of settings. Two different children use wheelchairs. There are city apartments, parks, a tropical beach, and a snowy Arctic village, all shown in spreads that reinforce the sense of a passing day.
Deceptively simple but clever and effective for the pre- and primary school nature shelves. (Picture book/poetry. 3-8)Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-77164-631-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Greystone Kids
Review Posted Online: June 2, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
Wow.
The stories of the births of the universe, the planet Earth, and a human child are told in this picture book.
Bauer begins with cosmic nothing: “In the dark / in the deep, deep dark / a speck floated / invisible as thought / weighty as God.” Her powerful words build the story of the creation of the universe, presenting the science in poetic free verse. First, the narrative tells of the creation of stars by the Big Bang, then the explosions of some of those stars, from which dust becomes the matter that coalesces into planets, then the creation of life on Earth: a “lucky planet…neither too far / nor too near…its yellow star…the Sun.” Holmes’ digitally assembled hand-marbled paper-collage illustrations perfectly pair with the text—in fact the words and illustrations become an inseparable whole, as together they both delineate and suggest—the former telling the story and the latter, with their swirling colors suggestive of vast cosmos, contributing the atmosphere. It’s a stunning achievement to present to readers the factual events that created the birth of the universe, the planet Earth, and life on Earth with such an expressive, powerful creativity of words paired with illustrations so evocative of the awe and magic of the cosmos. But then the story goes one brilliant step further and gives the birth of a child the same beginning, the same sense of magic, the same miracle.
Wow. (Picture book. 3-8)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-7636-7883-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer.
Rotner follows up her celebrations of spring and autumn with this look at all things winter.
Beginning with the signs that winter is coming—bare trees, shorter days, colder temperatures—Rotner eases readers into the season. People light fires and sing songs on the solstice, trees and plants stop growing, and shadows grow long. Ice starts to form on bodies of water and windows. When the snow flies, the fun begins—bundle up and then build forts, make snowballs and snowmen (with eyebrows!), sled, ski (nordic is pictured), skate, snowshoe, snowboard, drink hot chocolate. Animals adapt to the cold as well. “Birds grow more feathers” (there’s nothing about fluffing and air insulation) and mammals, more hair. They have to search for food, and Rotner discusses how many make or find shelter, slow down, hibernate, or go underground or underwater to stay warm. One page talks about celebrating holidays with lights and decorations. The photos show a lit menorah, an outdoor deciduous tree covered in huge Christmas bulbs, a girl next to a Chinese dragon head, a boy with lit luminarias, and some fireworks. The final spread shows signs of the season’s shift to spring. Rotner’s photos, as always, are a big draw. The children are a marvelous mix of cultures and races, and all show their clear delight with winter.
A solid addition to Rotner’s seasonal series. Bring on summer. (Informational picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-8234-3976-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Aug. 13, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2018
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