Review by Booklist Review
Best known for science books such as Extreme Animals (2006) and Surprising Sharks (2003), Davies turns to poetry in this large-format book. The poems cycle through the year from spring to winter, with more than a dozen poems in each seasonal section. Written in plain, down-to-earth language, the verse offers observations and information about the natural world as well as reflections, short narratives, and suggestions to help children to enjoy it. Hearld's mixed-media collage illustrations are unified in style but varied in technique, offering different effects that suit the subjects of individual poems. The artwork is full of life and movement, color, and texture. While few of the verses rhyme, those that do are some of the best. A versatile blend of poetry and science, this is an excellent choice for sharing across the curriculum.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Divided into seasons, this visceral introduction to the wonders of nature explores cycles and the passage of time through rich, textural images and thoughtful poems. Spring is "the busiest season." Icicles melt, frogs lay eggs, and birds migrate: "They've flown so far!/ Over forests, mountains, deserts, seas." Summer is "Time to look at the sky/ and dream," explore tide pools, and build dens. With fall come new observations ("They're not animals, and they're not plants./ They're something else-/ they're fungi: toadstools, mushrooms, molds"), and in winter "Patchwork pigeons, made of sky,/ catch the rain clouds when they fly." Debut talent Hearld layers his organic tableaux with matte, paper-cut collages, woodcuts, and other mixed-media techniques, complementing the album of ideas, images, and moods created by Davies's evocative poetry. Ages 3-up. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-A handsome, oversize collection of original poems paired with vibrant illustrations in mixed media ranging from watercolor to collage. Broken down into seasons, the selections encourage children to observe the world around them and appreciate nature in lyrical ways. Davies describes spring bulbs "counting out the days like a calendar" so that they know winter is almost gone and summer flowers that "shout to insects with their colors." In autumn, fungi appear like "rubbery Frisbees on trunks of trees" and in winter, swarms of starlings fly together "making waves and arcs and spirals in the sunset sky." The seasons flow with the sweep and swoosh of Hearld's colorful, impressionistic artwork. Along with her joyful poetry, Davies includes directions for making a tasty "berry crumble," hints on "saving seeds" for future cultivation, and making suet "seed cakes" for winter birds. In no way a field guide (originally published in Great Britain, some of the wildlife is strictly European), this is a celebration of the world around us.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Davies's verses and observations about the natural world are lovely, but it's Hearld's poster-worthy mixed-media illustrations that make this book worth purchasing. Vibrant fungi, pastel block-printed shells, exuberant wildflowers, and resplendent hens are among the delights on offer. This is a book to dip into repeatedly, with new discoveries at every turn...kind of like exploring the outdoors. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Poop: A Natural History of the Unmentionable, 2011, etc.) here joins forces with the illustrative talents of British artist Hearld, a kindred spirit when it comes to drawing artistic inspiration from nature. Following the progression of the seasons, these poems and their accompanying eye-popping spreads capture the essence of common animals, plants and phenomena in ways sure to entice young readers to venture outside. Hearld's powerful multimedia illustrations layer paper-cut animals and diverse flora with vibrant swathes of watercolor, ink and crayon, creating dynamic scenes to which children can readily relate, while Davies' spare lyrics ground complex processes like the life cycles of frogs and dandelions and the formation of rainbows with relative clarity. Some broader scenes encourage children to explore with all their senses and prove especially evocative, as in this moving image of what can happen during a snow-filled winter's night: "In the morning, you'll find the snow has kept a diary / of things that happened when you were asleep. / The animals and birds who ran about the garden / have left a snowy record of their feet." Over 50 poems, lustrous illustrations, a couple simple recipes and some advice for saving seeds combine to lend enough nature-related food for thought for many a sitting. (Picture book/poetry. 3-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
