Review by Booklist Review
In a series of poems, Silverman celebrates 11 successful projects that have resulted in wildlife returning to their previously disturbed, now mostly urban habitats. New York City's Bronx residents cleaned up their river; Oslo's citizens created a Norwegian bee "highway," complete with rest stops; and a Los Angeles school replaced its asphalt with native plants, creating a wildlife refuge area. Other cited examples hail from the UK, Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and India. Each poem describes the project with verses spanning one or two spreads. Additional prose text offers more comprehensive information, while Hsu's sunny acrylic-gouache illustrations expand on program details. She depicts rooftop gardens in London, rope bridges over Australian highways that allow wildlife safe access to their divided habitats, and newly created wetlands in Singapore that saw the welcome return of smooth-coated otters. Of special note are the little blue penguins in New Zealand that have learned to navigate tunnels beneath roads to reach their coastal nesting sites. With generous back matter, this makes an upbeat addition to primary ecology units.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Place-based poetry extols cities that have undertaken rewilding efforts in this uplifting poetry collection from Silverman. Varied verse and accompanying explanatory prose profiles metropolitan eco-efforts such as a bee highway in Oslo, Norway; a beach cleanup in Mumbai, India; a possum rope bridge in Busselton, Australia; and a penguin tunnel in Oamaru, New Zealand. A titular poem sets the tone with rhythmic stanzas spoken from the perspective of a nameless city that urges "Green me," "Clean me," "Rewild me." Silverman pens some pieces from the perspective of wildlife ("In your rivers and on your shores--/ We are the stars of Singapore"), while others narrate human conservation efforts ("In this oasis that we made,/ we watched them arrive"). Colorful wildflowers, googly eyed animals, and budding environmentalists of different skin tones populate Hsu's smudgy acrylic gouache and digital paintings, which amplify the inspirational examples featured. Further resources conclude. Ages 4--8. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--Urban life, wildlife, and everyday life all artfully blend together in this notable book of poetry starring high-impact visuals, remarkable vocabulary, and impeccable rhyming verse with a smidgen of activism that quickly shows readers how humans intervene so nature can work her magic. For instance, in a Los Angeles schoolyard, a blacktop is removed and seeds are sown, as an oasis of wild flora invites a rare burrowing owl to take notice and move in. When migrating birds soar the Mississippi Flyway over Chicago, city dwellers adopt a voluntary Lights Out Chicago to protect the birds from artificial light distractions. These are only two examples of how Silverman showcases global environmental impacts of rewilding cities. Page by page, Silverman's poetic mastery shines as she leads readers into her well-crafted world of rhyme and scientific information. This good narrative incorporates awareness of empathy and learning that Hsu artfully captures in her brightly colored drawings that deftly complement the prose. VERDICT The concept of worldwide changes to better support urban wildlife is told through exquisite rhymes wrapped around big, bold blossoms of color that, along with the plentiful learning resources, will captivate readers. A must-have poetry book worthy of close attention.--Lyn Smith
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
With this poetry collection, Silverman and Hsu offer encouragement for those worried about the planet. Vivid verse brings to life a variety of global efforts toward environmental stewardship and revitalization. Each piece offers a close observation of a regionally specific ecological problem and solution; a brief paragraph of text offers more information. "For the Bees" explores how the people of Oslo, Norway, created a "highway" made up of roof gardens and bee boxes to help honeybees, which face threats due to habitat loss and climate change. Another poem details how an initiative in Chicago resulted in people turning their lights off at night to help migrating birds. The result is a distilled portrayal of a world in crisis as well as an optimistic portrait of how a small handful of people, working together, can respond and avert crises. Though it's clear that our planet faces grave danger, readers will come away feeling that positive change is within their grasp. In lesser hands, this work could have become heavy-handed, but it does what poetry does best: It captures small, meaningful moments with heart. This purposeful collection offers an entry point for deeper conversations about the human role in preservation and protection of the natural world. Hsu's realistic yet whimsical full-color illustrations add a human touch and reflect diversity in skin tones throughout. Upbeat conservationist verse. (how you can help, more to explore, resources for families and educators, children's books celebrating city wildlife) (Picture book/poetry. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
