Neal Porter Books
Imprint of Holiday House, 2022
I'll admit to jumping the "ready for spring" gun here, but A SEED GROWS hits exactly the right note for me, even while looking out the window at residues of snow on the ground. Written and illustrated by the very talented Antoinette Portis, this is certain to become a classic among picture book collections regarding seeds/plants, at home and in classrooms. Remember, too, that this is a perfect time to plant some seeds in a sunny window and plan on how and where they may eventually make their way outdoors with a head start on other plants and seeds!
Here's what I had to say about it on Goodreads:
"This is a delightful, colorful approach to the basic information about how seeds grow and develop. it is also lyrical and invites audiences to participate and retell the essential information as well as providing appealing passages and lines.
An asset for direct instruction and also mentor writing for young learners and appealing to any age."
Beaming Books, 2022
Next is a timely title as we hear heartbreaking news of destructive floods and extreme weather in various parts of this country and around the world. THE TREE OF HOPE: The Banyan Tree that Inspired a Community to Stand Tall is written by Anna Orenstein-Cordona and illustrated by Juan Manuel Moreno. This nonfiction account of an ancient banyan tree on the island of Puerto Rico is based on documented events involving a specific tree and the community who love it.
The author only provides a slight nod to personification by using the pronouns"he/him/his" in some language referencing this tree. After growing on a public slope for more than one hundred years, the worst hurricane in the island's history, Maria, nearly resulted in its destruction. The decisions and perseverance of community actions that saved it is impressive in its own right, but also provides an analogy for the countless ways in which every aspect of island lives and communities and infrastructure have continued to be rebuilt. Resilience at its best.
This is a gorgeous and uplifting story, specific to an actual, particular tree and community, but also revealing a general approach to nature and the value of preserving and protecting our environment.
Candlewick, 2022
My final featured title in this post is THE POEM FOREST: Poet W. S. Merwin and the Palm Tree Forest He Grew from Scratch, written by Carrie Fountain and illustrated by Chris Turnham. This is a revelation and celebration of a former poet laureate whose respect for nature and humanity resulted in the largest and most diverse palm forest anywhere, and then gave the entire project away for permanent conservancy.
This was a pleasure to read on so many levels. I repeated reading it several times and shared it with others. Merwin is an undeniably gifted poet with adult credentials in that field that are undebatable. Yet I'd dare to suggest that what he accomplished in this decades-long project aimed at the reclamation/restoration/conservation of lands and plant species (especially endangered varieties of palms) is an accomplishment beyond measure.
The author managed to write prose text with lyrical elements. The comparison of wild spaces being "straightened" out of existence, or damaged into wastelands, makes a potent impact and is figurative language that will resonate with young readers, especially those whose view of the world is a wiggly, winding one.
That's it for this post, but I leave you with some superb choices to explore and, I hope, a persistent itch to make something grow green!
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