Forest Has a Song by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater (review)

Twenty-six gentle poems explore the forest and its denizens in this poetic tribute to the natural world. Subtly following the progress of the seasons, verses examine aspects of the forest milieu such as footprints in the snow ("Forest News"), the growing vegetation ("April Waking"), the beauty of a summer evening ("Dusk"), and the critters preparing for oncoming winter again ("Squirrel"). There's a pretty delicacy to the poems, and while they lack the verve of Joyce Sidman's brilliant combination of information and evocative vividness (in Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature, BCCB 11/11, Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors, 3/09), the simple personifications and kid-accessible imagery ("Lichens are graffiti artists") make the verses especially appealing to younger poetry audiences. Gourley's watercolor illustrations, which float on snowy backgrounds to offer a closeup look at a bird or branch or stretch more broadly across the page to feature a young girl and her dog exploring the woods, have a streamlined designery touch. Though the figures are occasionally a little awkward, the verdant botanicals and airy landscapes are attractive. The verses are approachable for readers and vivid for readaloud listeners, so this is a title with a broad spread of possible use. Even if there's no nearby forest, just have kids close their eyes, listen to the poetry, and imagine that there is.