GATHER GRATEFUL, a Graceful Approach to Fall and Gratitude

 Do you live where leaves fall at this time of year? Where the change of seasons is unmistakable  not only for its shifts in weather but also for the altered patterns of birds and other animals in habitats near by? If you do, this new picture book will resonate in your bones, in your heart, in your family. If you reside in one of those climates that sustains one season all year long, this is a valuable way to share the FALL/seasonal change that your young ones might not have experienced but will readily imagine as you read together.

GATHER GRATEFUL is written by Megan Litwin and illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey. 

CANDLEWICK PRESS, 2025

Written in rhymed text, the limited lines on each page launch visual storytelling of the many signals and rhythms of fall.

Colors change, temperatures drop. It's time to GATHER. Sweeping double page illustrations in shades of orange/brown and blue contrast with a crisp white background. The tones and shadows of those browns and blues, occasionally accented with black, allow readers to note birds and bears, crusty trunks and flittering leaves, all while recognizing the changes necessary with Fall's arrival.

Nesting, migrating, harvesting and hibernating unfold as "gather" expands to include huddles and cuddles and visits and vistas. Even as the latter pages reveal the various joys of gathering of humans with friends and loved ones, shifts in perspective circle back to the outdoor critters whose seasonal changes have thickened their fur coats, feathered their burrows, and beckoned them to the glow of warmth from windows and campfires. 

This could be described as a lovely lyrical list of Fall activities, and that would be true. But it is written and illustrated so that each posture and frame, each tone and tender expression invites readers to FEEL the characters and their neighbors in nature. This could also be called a Thanksgiving book, but that word is never used. Instead the word GATHER is a celebration of community, of family, of flocks, and of friends. It is anchored to a season, but not to a particular day or time or culture or era. In fact, the universally recognizable joy conveyed is something to be grateful for all year long.

Abuelo Shares HOW TO REACH THE MOON!

 The genuine and uniquely deep love and connection of a child and their grandparent is undeniable. Many wonderful picture books center this special relationship, making it a major challenge for new stories with this framework to break through. To editors, to buyers, to readers. 

AMAZON CROSSING KIDS, 2022

HOW TO REACH THE MOON is written by Nicolás Schuff and illustrated by Ana Sender, with translation by Lawrence Shimel. It was successful in its original Spanish release, and now I've found it in English translation. I hope this commentary will help it find even more admirers. It goes without saying that picture books rely on partnerships between the author and illustrator, with advice and curation through the publisher's team of editors and art directors. In this case the translator was trusted with the original text that is both robust and exquisitely tender. 

During summer, Emilio travels by train to spend his vacation in the forest with his abuelo. In evocative illustrations perfectly paired with bright and colorful text, readers will find themselves joining Emilio at their rustic outdoor table, listening to Abuelo's imaginative stories, and dealing with questions about the moon. 

On one full moon night, Abuelo wakes Emilio to hike through the forest to meet the moon. Imaginative questions and descriptions lead them deeper until they reach a steep bluff at the edge of the forest. Could this be a secret path to the moon?

The answer to that question and what follows are moments I won't spoil by discussing them in these comments, other than to say that the magic is in the shared experiences, the relationship, and the possibilities that Emilio explores. 

Both the text/language and the glowingly dense art invite sensory engagement with these special two folks and their habitat, while the seemingly invisible work of the translator makes it feel as if the original language was English, in the best possible way. 

View this picture book is a gentle ode to multi-generational love and adventure, to nature's atmospheric impact on our hearts and minds, to the value of imagination to prepare us for the astonishing offerings of our very real world. This serves as a strong and memorable fictional story, but also as a bedtime story, a celebration of family, a virtual journey into the depths of nature, and more. That's a lot of promise, but this picture book delivers, with every word and spread. 

A FOREST BEGINS ANEW: FIRES VS FUTURES

 If you didn't catch my recent notes about JUST ONE OAK, feel free to read that or other posts-from-the-past in praise of books that reveal and celebrate the remarkable role of trees and forests of all types. When such essential anchors of bio-systems are left to the forces of nature, they can and do serve years, even centuries of purpose within our planet's survival and evolutionary success. 

The role of a single tree, let alone a forest full of trees, spans centuries, landscapes, and lifetimes, demonstrating impressive generative intelligence to rival anything AI might offer. (In my humble opinion, ahem). 

Fires do occur naturally, and can be launched intentionally for regenerative purposes. This has been true across cultures and time. Measurable changes in climate patterns are producing earlier and hotter seasons, more extremes in drought and rainfall, deeper and longer el niño and el niña seasons, with winds and other conditions that result in forest fires far more extensive and destructive than in recorded history. And these reoccur more frequently and severely with each passing year. 

ASTRA YOUNG READERS
2026

As the author's dedication in A FOREST BEGINS ANEW states, this book is "For EVERYONE SEARCHING FOR HOPE". I appreciated that and also a quote from youth activist Greta Thurnberg: "You are never to small to make a difference."

This is a debut from author Louise M. Aamodt and her rhymed text is effectively illustrated by Elly MacKay. 

The lyrical lines unfold in the rhythm of "this is the house..."  but don't rely on that template completely. Rather than accumulating and repeating stanzas or locking exclusively into the original pattern, occasional short phrases signal transitions and progressions, while each stanza and page spread is focused on a phase of the timeline from the assumption that readers won't need to learn what a forest is, but can be led immediately into the launch of a heat-lightning strike on a single tree. Tension is instantaneous as cloud becomes strike becomes flames. Each rapid development is illustrated with informative details that reveal the plant and animal life affected at each stage while allowing readers to predict and question throughout each anticipated page turn. 

Lightning storms in themselves can be overwhelming to young audiences, and forest fires are even more so. (Think Bambi!). The grace and strength of this narrative and visual journey is that the pages with threat and devastation all incorporate survival, while moving readers through to hopeful management and adaptation within the first third of the book. Moving forward, the means through which both nature and humans can preserve and restore a healthy habitat is less stressful and much more reassuring and promising. Animals and youth all have agency and purpose in assuring a continuation of life, concluding with this sample of the undulating text:

"New signs of life

fill the burnt trees:

Critters/ and flitters/ and creepers/ and bees.

Budding and blooming

where fire swept through, 

this is a forest--

beginning anew.

The main text deserves praise and attention, but it's the back matter that reveals the teaching background of the author, including a posed and then explored question: 

Are fires good for forests?

Also an author note addresses readers, directly posing concern for shared feelings of helplessness and overwhelming emotions that arise during natural disasters. Brief and accessible added facts follow that short message, revealing the extensive research behind a seemingly simple text. For those seeking sources and validation of content or added information, multiple pages of references conclude this wonderful addition to any school, classroom, home, or nature collection.

We are currently immersed in a trajectory of global climate change that, in the scope of our planet's timeline, is barely a blink of the eye. And yet, we live our lives in his comparatively slo-mo space in which we can and should take actions. This remarkable picture book provides reassurance for all (yes, for worried young folks, but for older folks like me, as well). Fires, even those accelerated by human-caused environmental extremes, are recoverable, can even be beneficial, when we give nature time (and a hand) to regenerate and restore itself. That helps to know, and offers some science-based initiatives to suggest for young activists. Fire season, especially in western north America, is already upon us. Hurry to obtain a copy and read this, then share it with young people in your life.

HIKING: Summer Time To Touch Grass

 

This book was released in 2019, just before the Covid lockdown, and it was certainly in the making for years before that. it was also a product of a time before the current "TOUCH GRASS" mantra arrived. THE HIKE, written and illustrated by Alison Farrell, is a testament to the staying power of a picture book at its best. 

CHRONICLE BOOKS, 2019

The target age for this charmer is preschool to kindergarten, and yet it speaks to me from the opening pages. The kid-friendly illustrations throughout invite any reader of any age to dive into the adventurous spirit of childhood and go along for the hike!  

The title page reveals the field guide notebook of one character, Wren, who leads the three sisters from their nature-setting home through a full day of exploration of the bounties and beauties of nature.

The main text is simple, using few but perfectly chosen words: 

"We are going on a hike."

On that same page, hand-lettered labels  reveal names of the sisters and their dog, multiple plants and critters shown in their natural setting, with the colors of nature rendered in simple media including choices that most kids would find in a large set of crayons. Page after page continues the labeling of flora and fauna, sample notes in Wren's field guide, the antics of Bean, and occasional speech bubbles as the girls interact. 

Their roaming consumes the entire day into dusk, but they eventually reach their destination, a mountain top at which each completes her mission. Their return toward a well-lit and welcoming home includes the overhead expanse of stars in labeled constellations. When that happy resolve concludes, Wren's sketchbook offers added spreads and valuable nature information, all presented in child-like speeches and lettering. The model it presents for launching a summer notebook/;sketchbook project for kids at home is both appealing and accessible. 

This is all valuable and appealing on its surface, but the seemingly simple story also resonates with each girl's individuality, with the purposeful and self-directed use of a summer day, with their mutual appreciation of each other and of nature. All of these elevate an apparently simplistic or even scientific choice of story to one that invites return over the days of summer and years of lives. 

To read a prior post featuring two picture books on the power of footloose nature fun, read HERE. 

I recently read two middle grade novels in which the worlds (one incorporating recognizable location names, the other with imagined names suggesting places we now know) are post-apocalyptic from both environmental and political destructions of the resources we too often take for granted. Both include scenes in which characters reflect back, with melancholy, to the people who came before, who failed to appreciate and protect what they had before it was too late. Both, I'll add, are able to offer hope and a suggestion of a better future in various ways, but neither imagines that the harm can be undone. If this sounds interesting to you or young readers you know, check out D-39, A ROBODOG'S JOURNEY by Irene Latham (a verse novel that reads compellingly) and The TEAR COLLECTOR by R. M Romero. My reviews on goodreads are linked to the titles.

102... Lots To Think About Here!

 I'm so eager to dive into picture books that I rarely read the back blurbs or jacket copy before diving into the book itself. That isn't the kindest news to those who labor so seriously to find exactly the right text to lure readers in. I realize that, and always go back to read that material eventually. In the case of 102, written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell, I found in that later reading of jacket copy the use of the book's opening line, a line that I'll include here: 

LITTLE, BROWN, & Company  2025


Those twists continue throughout.

The opening spread remains anchored in the familiar; A kid is sent home with a fever of 101, a stray mouse scurries across the floor, and a debate ensues about getting rid of it or keeping it.

The reassuring line, "You'll be safe with me" provides a hint about issues that quickly arise.

This is an ideal place to elicit ideas about what, exactly, will happen next. I'd wager (money I don't have) that brilliant ideas will follow, but none with get it right, at least not in total. The child narrator attempts to follow a calling grasshopper, shrinking to hole-in-the-wall size himself. Readers join him for a journey inside the walls of the house. Who and what he meets there are both curious and informative, but must not delay him on the quest led by the grasshopper. Eventually, they reach the source of the truth about those beans, and about that mouse, and about the boy himself.

I've already given away so much of the story, but that should not deter you. The best continues on, and each page provides Cordell's color-drawn line art in ways that underscore this nighttime adventure, a quasi-reaslitic adventure, and the tenderness of a mother for her ailing child. 

Even in the final pages, this beans, those 102 repetitions, that gentle recognition of kindness toward others all resonate on the page. What part is realistic? What happened and what didn't happen? That's for you and young readers to decide. 

WHO IS SINGING?

When an important and delightful nonfiction picture book released some years back, I was invited to write a blurb. It was an honor to do so, and this is what I said:

"The author's winning pattern of question/response page-turns combines delightfully with readable bird calls and colorful images, inviting young nature-lovers to listen, observe, and gain confidence in the outdoors. This appealing introduction to familiar bird song patterns and habits offers a sort of 'first book of birding'."

 That's why I was so pleased to learn that this book is being re-released in a larger format, high quality picture book that continues to sing to me.  WHO IS SINGING? is written by nature-focused Janet Halfmann  and illustrated by Chrissy Chabot with crisp, simple images and coloration that are particularly useful for younger audiences at the first stages of bird observation and identification. This new offering is  a sort of "first field guide" for little ones with little hands, big ears, and enormous curiosity about the world. 

Belle Isle Books, 2026

In the northern hemisphere we are in prime season for bird song, with feathered songsters declaring territories, imprinting hatchlings with species pattern calls, and just singing in celebration of  the start and end  of a day. 

Recent studies document the correlation (nearing proof of causation) that increasing screen time with little ones actually rewires their brains, developing a few areas while failing to develop many more crucial patterns of seeing, hearing, and thinking. Yes, screens and their contents are interactive and colorful, but so is nature. Halfmann's informative, well-written, and interactive birdcall/bird-spotting book is an active, outdoor alternative that kids will welcome. 

Here's a link to my full original review. Some of  my initial praise follows and it all remains true:

Halfmann limits her choices to some of the most familiar birds in the midwest (and much of the country), each of which still has large populations that can be found in urban, suburban, and rural locations. She also provides a winning pattern of question/response for page turns. The opening question includes a "readable" translation of familiar birdsong, followed by a page turn that depicts the bird interacting within typical habitat, including food/prey, diurnal/nocturnal settings, and some typical behaviors. 

Interior images used with permission.

Halfmann's text patterns will also have young ones reading along and chiming in as each turn begins with the phrase, "Take a bow... " then repeats the bird's name. Those few lines incorporate the visual content regarding habitat, food, and species patterns.

As is typical in many of Halfmann's nature-focused titles, back matter includes useful learning content and ideas for activities. In this case, the content mentions the ways these "worded" songs were selected, that other wordings exist, and suggests ideas about creating our own versions of recognizable birdsong. It's easy to hear some of thesbirdsonge on YouTube. Just search for BIRDSONG. Share this delightful book with little ones, then take them, and yourselves, out into the wide world and LISTEN!"

StarBright Books, 2010

As with Janet's many other titles, study guides and teaching activities  are available on her website. It's also worth noting that her books are "keepers" in terms of sustained popularity and appeal to young audiences across time. Books like GOOD NIGHT LITTLE SEA OTTER (published in multiple languages) and others have landed on state favorites lists year after year. A great benefit of WHO IS SINGING is the range of familiar and widely distributed birds that are featured, and the accessibility of their songs for imitation. Young folks across the country will find birds they recognize and be able to succeed at interacting with them in song. That's a real-world, screen-free activity that never becomes boring and could lead to endless questions and investigations as readers grow into nature-lovers. 

In a recent conversation with an illustrator I was bemoaning my own lack of art skills. Their comment reminded me of this book. I'm paraphrasing here, but the gist is this: 

Every kid loves to draw, even if they don't think they are good at it. They just want to do it, and the more they do, the better they become. It works for adults, too. Those who develop an interest in birds are likely to find appeal in making sketches and field notes for themselves. An adult version of that is THE BACKYARD BIRD CHRONICLES, written and illustrated by AMY TAN. (Yes, THAT Amy Tan!)

On a sad side note, North American birds are struggling to survive, with some estimated population drops in the range of 50% reduction in only the last few years. Some of this is due to habitat loss and climate changes, but some is due to a highly contagious infection that spreads easily through bird-feeding stations. My longtime advice to provide a feeding station is now guarded, adding a note to check with your local parks and wildlife services to see if yours is an area that is discouraging feeders for the coming season. This book provides a super opportunity to still engage young learners to engage with birds in an interactive way while learning about our responsibility to be informed and helpful in maintaining and restoring their populations. We can't and won't protect creatures about whom we know nothing. 

Haiku Magic.... A POND, A POET, AND THREE PESTS

 In the prior post I pointed out that April is POETRY MONTH, featuring a book that included HAIKU. I've reviewed and praised Haiku collections for young readers in past posts, HERE, HERE, and  HERE.The form originates in Japan, which requires translation for those of us who don't speak Japanese. (That would be many of us, no doubt). The word meanings and syllable counts may change with translation, but the essence of HAIKU captures a moment in time, an emotion or observation of nature, a sense of our place in relation to the natural world. The three-line syllable count matters, but not more so than the essence of the thought. There are other renowned haiku poets from around the world, including from the USA. BASHO was perhaps the best known haiku poet, a journeying man who chose a life of humble means and deep reflection. 

GROUNDWOOD BOOKS, 2025   

A POND, A POET, AND THREE PESTS is written by Caroline Anderson and illustrated by Lauren Tamaki. This nearly mystical, dreamlike tale suggests an evening respite for BASHO, resting at a small pond. The three pests are pond residents who each recognize BASHO and hope to gain his attentions, to perhaps achieve fame by becoming the subject of one of his poems.

First, the golden carp flashes his sparkling scales, but goes unnoticed. Then the water lily wafts its most appealing fragrance, but also is unnoticed. Mosquito, though, is well aware of the effects of a droning buzz near the ear. Even that does not get a reaction from BASHO.

When a frog leaps into the pond, BASHO wakens, composing one of his most highly regarded poems... about the frog. No attempts at fame and attention succeeded, but simply following its nature earned frog fame in a globally-recited poem. How much we could all learn from that frog. And from those fame-seeking "pests" whose gifts and traits were overlooked by trying too hard for attention rather than for seeking joy in being their true selves. 

The narrative text to share this proverb-like tale is as minimal and resonate as a poem, which suits the story perfectly. The illustrations are evocative of Japanese ink scrolls combined with the lush and luminous colors of silks. Images seem to glow or ripple as your eyes shift from page to page while lines suggest ink-brushed lines and calligraphy. BASHU's Buddha-like image reveals his pilgrim/traveler persona and allows him to blend into the nature he deeply respects and purposefully seeks.  

BASHU and ISSA are two of the most well-known Haiku poets, and their collections have been the subjects of doctoral studies and scholarly tomes. They are also featured in books for young readers, in which the careful selection of poems combine with enhancing illustrations to make writing haiku an appealing project for many young folks and adults alike. COOL MELONS TURN TO FROGS is one such picture book that features poems by ISSA. I hope you'll seek out this recent BASHO book and the much earlier ISSA book. Both will take you into a world that may offer you respite from screens and fame-seekers, while deepening your own awareness of the natural world at our fingertips. 

THE SWEATER: A Story of Community

Some of the books i feature here are astonishing in their depth or scope, in the magnificence (I'm not exaggerating) of their text or illustrations. Many titles in many ways reveal less that is "new" but much that is conveyed in moving and original ways. 

VIKING PRESS, 2026

Then there are some picture books that simply strike chords of familiar, important, heart-touching elements in ways that deserve attention. Books that will become huggable favorites. Books that will be saved to read again and again, and then on into adulthood to a next generation. The SWEATER: A Story of Community strikes me as that kind of book. Written by Larissa Theule and illustrated by Teagan White, there is actually very little that seems extraordinary in this reader-friendly book. 

The author's narrative is direct and simple, but carries the weight of understanding:

"... a little bird stumbled into the thicket. It was plain to see he'd been though some things."

The storytelling allows readers to sense concern, potentially even risk, without feeling undo threat to worry. The little bird's discovery of a vacant hole in a tree could easily be the wrap to his part of the story. But empathy and awareness of the coming winter and the challenges to even healthy lives in the face of Mother Nature  leads the central character, Holly the raccoon, to express concern for the little bird to the others in the woods. Yes, you can guess that decisions are made, domino effects unfold, scraps of offerings are knit into whole resources. That, my friends, is a metaphor for community. The glory of this simple account is in both its familiarity and in the freshness of word and images. 

Click on illustrator White (above) to see that more sophisticated version of any of these illustrations were well within her talents. But from the simple line drawings on end papers to the colorful, warm-toned interiors, each character appears both anthropomorphized and also natural. The challenges faced are concerning without being terrifying, helping readers invest in the safety of all, not just the small bird. Even when it is "hunkering down"  time in the midst of a storm, the text and images offer reassurance of safety while suggesting connection, even while isolated for a time. Some aspect of those spreads reminded me of our lives during covid lock-down. No  matter how separate we were, there was a nearly universal striving to find ways to express our connections to others.

This book will appeal to most (I'd like to say ALL, but not everyone might find it as utterly memorable and treasured as I do). But I hope you'll give it a look to see for yourselves. There is sincerity and charm without being cloying or cutesy. The two-dimensional, stylized critters reside in a detailed space that is also somewhat flat, yet remains natural and somewhat magical. It's that "story time" tone that made me lift the relationships and characters from their specifics to think of them as any and all communities 

I am a fan of any picture book that is able to take what we all know to be an important (and therefore familiar) concept and make it fresh and memorable. I praised the efforts of Marsha Diane Arnold's ONE SMALL THING, HERE. If you missed it originally, I invite you to click and read about it as well. These two "animal character" stories display combined support, representing the power for even small efforts to unite and strengthen every member of the community. They would make remarkable side-by side readings. Those are reflections and discussions I'd welcome as often as possible, especially among young audiences.

Who's Afraid of BUGS? Not THE SPIDER LADY, Nan Songer!

"Nonfiction" is easy to extol as needed information, but in our times of TIK-TOK, Substack, YouTube, and Reddit, posts voiced by unvetted sources, not to mention traditional media outlets, once reliable sources, are diminishingly trustworthy. They now present "truth" but materials are produced by downsized-overworked-nonspecialized  staff and AI generators, both equally doubtful. I've come to believe that the most reliable truths, ones I can trust, come not even from my own eyes, since AI plays a role in so many distortions and outright misrepresentations. What I turn to are works from well-vetted publishing groups for youth (ages 0-20), ones who willingly claim the label NONFICTION. Even adult works in those categories too often reflect agendas and intentions toward what is or is not included or emphasized. In works for nonfiction for  youth, the guards are still at the gates and  turrets. Material is scrutinized to prevent distortions, half-truths, and even an excess of flourish or creativity that could confuse young audiences. 

This branch of the publishing industry, on the creative, production, and marketing sides, have gone so far as to identify works as "informational fiction" or ":creative nonfiction", offering readers a full understanding that the factual content can and will be identified even if told in imaginative ways. These works (including direct nonfiction) go so far as to incorporate back matter to expand and validate the facts shared, to offer suitable  resources for curious investigators, and to clarify aspects that may have been used for storytelling purposes only. I challenge all purveyors of "information" from any of the outlets noted above to step up with comparable assurances of the TRUTHS they offer to readers.  (Bottom line following this rant? READ MORE NONFICTION for kids!)

 

CALKINS CREEK, 2025

In both text and illustration, some nonfiction picture books take original twists on familiar people or topics, but others capture attention by introducing new individuals, discoveries, burgeoning fields of study, and so much more, all of which can capture attention just as well as digital media while providing validity and references to learn even more. THE SPIDER : Nan Songer and Her Arachnid Army is written by Penny Parker Klostermann and illustrated by Anne Lambelet. This unsung hero story would be remarkable even if it didn't involve a major aspect of winning World War II. 

But it does.

It begins as an intriguing and colorful account of Nan Songer's unique childhood as the eager mentee of an expert female neighbor-entomologist then moves through Nan's emerging sense of nature and its appreciation. Rather than focus on displaying or dissecting amazing bugs, she was fascinated by their behavior. Studying that meant keeping them alive. The hearts of many wannabe scientists will resonate at the spreads showing how Nan transformed her bedroom into a living insect zoo.  (Parents may cringe, but it's worth sticking with this unfolding story.)

As WWII loomed, Nan encountered a need from the armed forces-  for precision spiderweb threads to use as crosshairs in many kinds of munitions.I learned so much about Nan but also about spiders in this bio-profile-career story. (That's despite my academic respect for spiders with no willingness to become roommates with them!) Among the most amazing new information is that aiming crosshairs needed to be from spider web threads because they're not susceptible to heat or cold or moisture, making the marksman's aim reliably accurate. Who knew? I certainly didn't. And I certainly didn't know how spider thread could be collected without taking it from the web! Silk thread, yes: soaking silkworm cocoons allows easy unthreading and re-spooling. But spider web threads? You won't believe it!

But you should. And you will, because it is so well told and visualized. And documented.

Nan Songer's long "hobby" meant she worked with live spiders regularly, overcame any worries about Black Widow spiders producing the most ideal threads, and so much much more. That background made her the ideal innovator for acquiring and providing threads of exacting specifications in quantities, reliably, without injuring the spiders who served our country so well. I wondered (and learned) if those same threads would  have any signifcant purposes after the war ended. The story is woven as effectively and with as much complexity as actual spider webs. Both the story and the webs have strength, purpose, and jaw-dropping intricacies. Don't miss the back matter for added details and insights. 

And could we all try holding reportedly "true" stories and images to the same high standard as we achieve in nonfiction for children. At a minimum, indicating when and how much AI is involved in images and reports? Deepest thanks to all who write, illustrate, proofread, crosscheck, and validate the contents so that young readers can actually trust such work.

JUST IN CASE: SAVING SEEDS in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault

CHARLESBRIDGE, 2025

 For more than year, my writing personal projects have included work on two nonfiction texts related to global hunger. It's quite a heavy subject, and finding ways to make it both intelligible and accessible to young readers presents plenty of challenges. Even so, kids are eager to better understand their "up-close" worlds as well as big picture topics. In the case of JUST IN CASE: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault I have no doubt that readers of any age will be intrigued and excited at the concept and execution of this global project.

Author Megan Clendenan and illustrator Brittany Cicchese have captured the heart and heftiness of a highly technical and surprisingly simple program that could assure the survival of the human race. This one has stakes!

I was aware of this project, and had even read some science reports about it. Even so, this took me right into the depths of the story, and not simply as a good idea well done. Both the text and sprawling spread of the opening pages deliver readers to the barren snowscape of the near-North Pole. Quickly, though, we learn that this location was not only chosen for its low temperatures to preserve the seed samples, but also to remove the facility from most climate and geologic threats. With images and text, readers travel the globe and across time to note the universal necessity of seeds, and practices for their care and preservation. Occasional sidebars and text inserts build background on the significance and nearly magical power of seeds to assure life on our planet. Pages depicting the decisions involving the design, blasting, building, and operation of the Seed Vault are really intriguing. 

It is made clear that the storehouse of seeds is not only for a potential or eventual apocalypse, but these seed reserves are available for active distribution during more localized destructive events. A full-circle effect is evoked as the closing spreads return readers to view of a child, a garden, and the role we can each play in preserving seeds and growing gardens. As impressive as the Svalbard Seed Vault is, this  account is worthy of attention as a literary success. It works across many ages and curricula links, taking a broad and distant concept onto the picture book page. Young readers are fully centered in the story. It's a terrific nonfiction offering (including back matter with further details and resources) while enticing eyes and minds to connect with their personal roles in nature and science. 

IN THE DESERT: Poetry on the Prowl

CANDLEWICK PRESS,  2025

Mid-winter is when some of us snowbound folks travel to warmer spaces, including  Southwest deserts. The poems and creatures featured in IN THE DESERT are residents of the SARAHA Desert, but most of the creatures portrayed have relatives in deserts across the globe. The opening poem is titled THE SAHARA. Its brief lines offer details describing the harshness and minimal biology at first sight, with the last line reassuring that "Here, there is life".

Author DAVID ELLIOTT and illustrator GORDY WRIGHT combine their talents in this large-format, expansive landscape layout to immerse readers/little audiences in experiences they might otherwise never have. The seemingly simple poems invite repetition, while the images portray both scientifically accurate details and even spark emotional responses. The sound of the poems as read aloud incorporate delightful rhythms and rhyme while indicating the endlessly threatening patterns of food chains, venoms, and unnoticed threats.

There is no soft-pedaling of reality and the consequences of ignorance. But there is also a celebratory tone for a family of baboons practicing their "alphabet" of squeals and screeches, of migratory herds, and of an adorably familiar looking SAND CAT who is more than  she appears.Some animals portrayed are familiar (dung beetles and crocodiles) while others are less so (the addax and oryx). Back matter offers a double spread that names each featured animal with short informative text. This is a themed poetry collection, but as a work of nonfiction, I had also hoped for a page of further resources, related books, or at least a brief bibliography of sources. The publisher and creators have standing as reliable sources, but we've reached an era of unreliable sources (social media, AI, and more)  so that a short addition in back pages would have added to the value of this selection. 

If you can't  plan a mid-winter, warm weather getaway, a book like this that lands you in the heart of a desert could be very welcome. Just watch your step and fingers as you move through this remarkable habitat!

New Year Resolution: TOUCH GRASS (Leaf Town Forever)

 There are so many ways in which I'm "out of the loop" when it comes to social media and current lingo. Am I alone in STILL not understanding what six-seven means as it leaves center stage and something new takes the spotlight? But TOUCH GRASS is one phrase that I have understood from first hearing, and one that just might be the basis for a New Year Resolution that you won't regret. With digital lives and gaming and social media and texting and.... "all the things" filling our adult lives and those of our kids, TOUCH GRASS is that reminder to PUT DOWN the electronics and get outdoors. If you are in a climate that involves snow and ice, then seasonal rewording is welcome. Touch snow, touch buds, touch grass, touch blossoms, touch crispy fall leaves, touch evergreens. Whatever you do, the TOUCH part is what matters. It's more than just going outdoors and looking around. The premise of the prompt is to engage, to make yourself a part of the nature scene surrounding you. 

In the same way that petting a pup or listening to birdsong has been demonstrated to lower blood pressure, engaging with nature, mindfully and intentionally, can bring us back to ourselves. It can certainly return us to the pressures of digital demands with renewed and refreshed mental and physical health. That is even more true for young folks, and is one of the few strategies that allows young digital devotees to willingly opt out of electronics and into the real world. 

University of Minnesota Press, 2025

This brings me to belated attention to, and praise of, a fall release,  LEAF TOWN FOREVER, co-authored by Kathleen Rooney and Beth Rooney, with illustrations by Betsy Bowen. Inspired by a true story (actually a series of events spanning several seasons), and revealed through haiku and warm, child-like illustrations, the physical LEAF TOWN FOREVER occurred spontaneously during covid. Kathleen Rooney writes, teaches and publishes poetry, while her sister Beth Rooney is a journalism photographer. This story uses Haiku form in connected poems that describe the origins, threats, and success of LEAF TOWN. 

During Covid, playgrounds were closed, but the field behind their school was not. Three friends, girls, head out one fall day and recognized beauty and treasures everywhere. gathering, sorting, enjoying, they spontaneously imagined a treasure shop of lovely leaves, acorns, lost rings and other bits, and superb specimen leaves (oak, locust, ginkgo, and more). The leaves could build homes, pave paths, generate neighborhoods, and identify various roles (shopkeepers, worker/collectors, builders, and more). Their exercise in  imagination and action invited peers to join the fun, spanning weeks and unearthing wonders. 

Every heartwarming story such as this needs a line of tension, and this has one, also spawned by the actual events. Neighbor kids noted the daily dev developments and entered the scene with destruction and theft in mind. A fight ensues, but the once-discovered key that had been declared the heart of the town was preserved. The original builders set about restoring the town, building-back-better, as is sometimes said, and also preparing for possible attack (pine resin and needles at the ready). When neighbor kids returned it was made clear: join in or prepare to fight and lose, again and again. 

The expanded community grew and collaborated and was enjoyed through the seasons, with the opening refrain "Leaf Town Forever" produced on a sign that foretold years of life for the nature-village-imagination-socializing-source. The details are rich and revealing, including surrounding wildlife, and the relationships are understated but undeniable. Each year the current group presents the key, that "heart of the town", to the children of the next class. 

There are many things stated as if "rules" for writing successful picture books in "these days". They include featuring very young children, not spanning weeks or months or (NO!) years! Making the story strong on many hooks (appealing themes and topics that will help it sell) and comparable to other good-selling books. Well, this clearly shows that a good story, well-told and illustrated, one that stands apart from other current material can and will rise to the top. This table of school age kids, in a single setting, with poetic narrative and sufficient space for readers' own imaginations can, and will, find its footing and fans. Links to many of the praise-filled reviews about it can be found HERE, and its title has surfaced in discussions of year-end picture book awards.

My own praise for it relates to the appeal of the lyrical narrative (in actual poems that are readily accessible to all readers) combined with the leafy, lush illustrations that suggest natural; materials and outdoors. This delights me most in the unstated truth and enticement of time spent outdoors, in company of friends, with undirected and certainly unplugged play leading to a rich commitment to their joint effort. The solidarity of collaborators in the face of threat, their willingness to welcome the threateners into a wider circle of community, their sense that nature and all that it encompasses (including random detritus) has immeasurable value wrapped me in wisdom from the opening pages to the close. TOUCH GRASS has never been more clearly demonstrated than in this new picture book. I urge readers to give it your time and attention, to share it with kids of many ages, and to help spread this word for this small-press wonder. 

Thanks to University of Minnesota Press for a sample copy to be read with no promise of a review.

In the WORLD OF WHALES: An Incredible Vicarious Experience

 Sperm whales were hunted to the brink of extinction. Now, more than forty years after regulation, they are still a rare and endangered species. All whales inspire awe and amazement at their size, intelligence, and mystery. Sperm whales are the subject of this remarkable picture book, but its account of this actual, documented experience is really a book about WONDER. Wonder beyond our general knowledge of whales. WONDER. linked to a specific and brief experience that changed a lifetime.

NEAL PORTER BOOKS, 2025

IN THE WORLD OF WHALES is written by Michelle Cusolito and illustrated by Jessica Lanan. I've read and appreciated many other astonishing and revealing picture books about whales (HERE, HERE, among others). Each account, each revelation leaves me with that sense of wonder, as well as increased awareness of enormous gaps in my personal knowledge of whales. I am grateful for nonfiction picture books like these that convey so much in such a compact, compelling, and memorable form. 

In this case the author's note reveals that her choice of voice was intentional. TWO free-dive partners submerge  together, practicing the safe steps and training that allowed them to experience and share so much of life beneath the surface. The narrative makes the partnership clear, as do the illustrations. Despite that, as these immersive (no joke intended)  and stunning events unfold, the narrative voice accomplishes an impressive revelation of a single diver as he witnesses and actually interacts following the rare event of a sperm whale birth. The experiences were fully recorded, but even after watching several of their remarkable videos I found this picture book was able to include me in the experience in a more powerful way.

Even a summary of this book is impressive. Free divers and their crew notice a clan of sperm whales that suddenly submerge. The divers with cameras enter the deep, seeing a circle of sperm whales surrounding a mother whale as she has recently given birth. Dependent on repeated surfacing and dive cycles, the divers manage to convey their interest without intrusion, mimicking the fluid movement patterns of whales. In successive pages readers share those observations and patterns, the whales' tolerance and then acceptance of human presence at this most vulnerable of moments. After the final resurface, the divers leave, forever changed.  A double spread scientific drawing of a sprem whale with annotated labels is informative and intriguing, followed by two more pages about free diving and whales, books and resources. One final turn provides a breathtaking photographic image as well as notes by both the author and the illustrator. 

Both narrative and illustrations provide readers with a sense of participation. The narrative pattern makes the vulnerability of free diving real by dividing this overall event into segments of holding one's breath. The diver lifts his backside and plunges deeply, observes, then returns to the surface to breathe out-breathe in-return to the deep. In each case I sensed the compulsion to stay under longer, the lungs demanding air, the frustration of turning away from a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The illustrations are so watery, wistful, and wondrous that I held my breath between those resurfacing pages. Perspective and relative size played a part in the drama, but so did the text that manages to convey a multi-sensory engagement, including the clicks and vibrations, the varied pitch and the manner of approach of the whales to these tiny creatures, these human observers. The text is careful not to assign emotions or meanings to the actions of the whales, but does suggest potentials. 

When anyone is asked about moments in life that change them forever, a birth in the family often makes the list, usually leads it. That's true for mothers, fathers, grandparents, and more. The birth of any new life is a jaw-dropping experience, from litters of puppies to calves and even to the emergence of a monarch butterfly from its chrysalis. In this case, though, the undeniable intelligence, community, and communication among and from this clan of whales is all the more impressive since it has never before been directly witnessed by humans. 

Don't miss out on your chance to experience it yourself.  

If you are on Facebook or Instagram, you may want to subscribe to FRED BUYLE's feeds to view more videos of this and other wonders of undersea life. Unless we fill our knowledge gaps, and increase our wonder-capacity, regulation alone will not insure their preservation.

DEAR ACORN, (LOVE, OAK): Letter Poems to Friends (With NPR interview link)

My usual strategy in choosing books to celebrate here is to focus on books that are just a shadow away from major accolades, because this titles will get plenty of attention from voices more widely heard than mine. Even so, some stand out so fully and specially that I can't help but add my two cents. This is a link to an interview on NPR with Joyce Sidman and Melissa Sweet. It aired Saturday 10/4, so I beat this post to air a day before. even so, it is a must-listen for anyone who cares about kids, or kids' books, or life!

Check the interview here- it's not long, but it is invaluable. Thanks, and enjoy.

CLARION BOOKS, 2025

DEAR ACORN, (LOVE, OAK): Letter Poems to Friends is a collection of themed poems written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. 

This is a one-of-a-kind pairing of two master creators combining their talents to produce a collection of poems on a timeless and child-focused theme. Joyce Sidman is among the most skilled and creative poets for young readers (and the rest of us) while Melissa Sweet produces collaged and mixed/media art and illustrations that delight the eye and invite closer consideration. That reader-response invitation provides a perfect scaffold for poems that delight the ear and encourage multiple readings and reflections. 

Sixteen poems are presented in eight pairs, each a direct address letter from a member of a large-to-small (or reverse) relationship within nature. Children, by definition, live lives in big-small relationships and this fresh and personified take on those emotional connections will be welcome.

The table of contents suggests what I'm trying to describe:

Oak/Acorn, Bubble/Sky, Cloud/Droplets, Pebble/River, 

Brick/School, Button/Coat, Toes/Child, and Sea Turtles/Ocean.

 Each poem assumes the voice of the entity, but also assumes a reading by the intended addressee, suggesting it expects to be heard and understood. And each opening poem does, indeed, get a reply. That, too, is a rich and resonate experience for children and for the child in each of us. Being heard and responded to feels like a basic human drive.

For example, when "bubble" starts life with the breath of a boy, it fully experiences its ephemeral but fun existence-- bobbing, shifting, shimmering. Even in that joyful instantaneous moment, Bubble speaks to Sky, revealing its wish to be part of something more. And then POP! The moist casing bursts and a boy's breath becomes part of the atmosphere. The art on Bubble's page has literal elements and a swirl of rainbow-sparkled other bubbles, forecasting their futures as elements of rainbow-filled skies. When SKY replies, it addresses "Dear BUBBLE-THAT-WAS". It shares a poignant insight and a personal thank you for a rare "soapy kiss", signing itself SKY-THAT-ALWAYS -IS.

Just as each phrase, line, and emotion of those two poems merits lingering attention, so too do the sky-square images assembled on that spread. Each suggests a different aspect of the sky, from science to play to weather to wondering. 

If ever a book could be effectively used as inspiration and mentor text for any and all ages, it is this one. The poems can spark exploration of the paired elements and their scientific/natural relationships. The poems encourage appreciation and acceptance of the truth that poetry, perhaps the best of poems, do not require or rely on rhyming, but rather on imagery and language and emotions. The art invites attempts at similar collage and assemblage creations, as well as analysis of elements and patterns of color, shape and sizes. 

Sidman provides a brief author note on the back page to invite readers to attempt letter poems, which are one of the best ways to capture that elusive but highly-valued writing craft, VOICE. As those who attempt letter poems will realize, and Sidman suggests and models in this collection, VOICE is a direct result of becoming part of the expressive object (or person). To imagine and occupy the thinking and feeling of the intended speaker is a rich exercise in empathy. Letter poems invite writers to go a step further and fully imagine themselves in the lives of the recipients. 

I am not alone in singing the praises of this lovely offering. HORN BOOK gives it a starred review HERE, and KIRKUS reviews it HERE as an "imaginative masterpiece."

All of that purposeful use of the book makes it  a must-have for homes, libraries, classrooms, and writing classes. Even so, I feel compelled to repeat myself from some prior posts many years ago. No one, not author, illustrator, editor, nor publisher, puts their time and heart and effort into making a superb picture book like this for the PRIMARY purpose of it being used in these intentional ways. The best creators may, consciously or not, generate work with depth and layers that can be unpacked again and again among many audiences for many purposes. But the MAIN purpose, the driving intent of the best picture books, is to be shared and enjoyed. Do that with this book, please. Read it, enjoy it, share it, and explore it. After delighting in and appreciating that original rich experience, I suspect the further uses and readings and inspirations will flow naturally as it lives on in your lives and on your shelves.

Nature Calls... In the Best of Ways: WHERE THE DEER SLIP THROUGH

Some things, particularly NATURE, are reliably calming to me. I often hear the same is true for many others. In any of its glorious forms (as opposed to its occasionally damaging ones) nature can restore my spirit, energize my body, and inspire my mind. This is true in each of the four seasons, and I deeply appreciate living in a four-season climate. 

BEACHLANE BOOKS, 2025

That's surely the part of my own nature that drew me to WHERE THE DEER SLIP THROUGH, written by Katey Howes and illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Beth Krommes.

I'll admit that the cover art was equally appealing to me before ever reading a word in the book or about it. Beth Krommes has mastered a distinctive scratchboard technique that marks her work with a recognizable style. She draws black and white images into scratchboard paper, then transfers them onto paper and applies watercolor. She creates scenes that are both graphic in design and yet utterly natural and richly detailed. Take a look at her illustrator page HERE to see how clearly her style can be recognized, yet she adapts it and compliments a wide variety of subjects. Her SWIRL BY SWIRL and  BEFORE MORNING with Joyce Sidman were my first experiences with books illustrated by KROMMES, and I've become a dedicated fan since then. 

In those titles, as with WHERE THE DEER SLIP THROUGH, the text is written in verse of the highest quality. Using a pattern that introduces new natural entry points and creatures with callbacks to previously introduced wildlife, the text offers rhymed lines in phrases that parallel cumulative text with less predictability and a superb but seemingly spontaneous sequencing of lines. "Where the deer slip through" is the resolve line on several pages, slipping in with the  subtlety that deer achieve when appearing and disappearing from our surroundings. 

From the dawn opening throughout the day and on to the woodland view of a star-filled sky, the humans (indoors and out), foliage, and fauna are portrayed in lines and scenes that invite  readers to explore and extend their views, to appreciate the shifting angles and perspectives, to associate these densely articulate images with your/our own experiences when, and where, the deer slip through into our lives. 

Spend some time with this one, and I suggest you check out other KROMMES titles to fully appreciate not only the visuals and text of each picture book, but also the wise decisions in pairing such distinctive illustration style with powerful verse. I feel confident that you'll be recommending these to others and sharing them as often as possible. 

And may the peace be with you! 

BLUE! A Powerful Portrait of Realism and Magic!

LITTLE, BROWN, and COMPANY, 2025

My own writing is currently toggling between fiction and nonfiction projects, with careful attention to when and how various aspects of each interact or affect the purpose of the particular writing. In the case of BLUE, written and illustrated by best-selling Suzanne Kaufman, I found myself considering those two sides of this remarkable and beautiful new release. It's grand example of how a seemingly simple fictional talecan provide elaborate informational content through visual detail and superb storytelling.

Although I'd love nothing more than to be a visual-arts creator, especially one of this calibre, such skills do carry with them the mixed blessing of having your amazing illustrations nearly overwhelm equally gorgeous text. That's especially true when the text has been honed to such excellence. Not a syllable or word or line is used more than necessary to enhance and ignite even further the jubilant scenes and storytelling of the visual narrative. 

A stripe-shirted, high-booted universal-ish child and an utterly authentic BLUE HERON engage in  displays and activities that reveal the nature and brilliance of both species. Readers splash right onto the page for an exuberant celebration of friendship and shared joy.

Only because i have lived on a waterfront with some nearly-tame herons would I imagine this is anything other than fantasy. Instead, I see it as magical realism, with depictions of authentic  encounters, images, interactions, posturing, and scenes that ultimately extend into fantastical imaginings. 

Within the cycle of a full day, the adventures resolve into a powerfully soothing, peace-filled bedtime conclusion.

As noted, the images alone provide that story, beautifully and naturally. Yet the superbly suited minimal text makes the experience even more engaging. Take time to appreciate the ways in which this talented artist structured a timeless story to voice to her imaginings. The perfect balance of eyes and ears, of action and mood, of excitement and calm are worthy of appreciation. I'll continue to wish for such artistic talent for myself, while feeling deeply grateful for those who have and share their art and storytelling with the rest of us. Don't miss this one.