Can you hear the plants speak?

In this book, author Hummingbird, who is of Cahuilla and Apache heritage and an expert in native plants in California, calls on readers to "take a walk" back into his childhood, when he spent summers with his great-grandparents in an unnamed rural area, watching and learning from the fauna and flora around him. He also listened to the teachings of his elders, internalizing the importance of regarding all living things with consideration and care. When the land he loved was paved over and his great-grandparents passed away, Nick felt lost. Adrift, he wandered the city and listened. He heard the plants calling to him to gather their seeds and plant them, thereby countering the devastation of urbanization. The back matter includes ideas for how to cultivate plants in even the smallest areas, along with the sage advice about slowing down to take care of them and learn from them.

An Indigenous gardener matures--and vows to protect the environment. The young narrator spends summer days with loving great-grandparents who impart important lessons: "These trees are our ancestors" and "We thank them with a song, a blessing, and a few drops of water." From mountains to rivers, every part of nature is alive, and the child learns to listen to the plants, who offer food, promise to quench the little one's thirst, and provide smoke to "lift your prayers to heaven." As the youngster grows, so does the surrounding cityscape, silencing the animals and plants. The now-adult protagonist wanders, alone and lost--before coming across a tiny plant sprouting from the gray concrete. Inspired, the narrator decides, "From one, I would grow many." Trees and flowers fill the pages. Later scenes show the protagonist with a young son, who also learns to listen to the wisdom of the plants. Hummingbird--a descendant from the Cahuilla nation of Southern California's Inland Empire and the Apache nation of New Mexico--and Wasson matter-of-factly emphasize the importance of respect for the environment. Goodnight's (Chickasaw Nation) realistic art complements this tender story. Soft, natural colors add warmth, while leaves and acorns adorn the endpapers, underscoring the themes of growth, compassion, and strength. In the backmatter, the authors note that plants, like animals, can go extinct; they leave readers with suggestions for growing native plants in their own homes and backyards. Heartfelt reflections on the importance of kinship with nature. (resources) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.