Classics, Nonfiction, and Children's Literature
The uniquely illustrated picture book A Log’s Life by Wendy Pfeffer (illustrated by Robin Brickman; Simon & Schuster, 1997) shows the interconnectedness of ecosystems through the life of an oak tree. Three-dimensional collage illustrations bring the different creatures and textures to life in the illustrations. This picture book explains the cycle of decomposition with a
A Flower Is a Friend by Frieda Wishinski, illustrated by Karen Patkau (Pajama Press, May 2023), highlights the ways garden creatures and garden flowers exist together. A digitally rendered flower-and-creature image on each two-page spread nicely pairs with a simple action phrase from the flower’s voice stating what they do, such as “wake to the
Dragonfiles by Pieter van Dokkum (Yale University Press, March 2015) is a gorgeous coffee table book about dragonflies. I admit, that, since I am not a scientific person, I wondered about this book. I have never once thought about dragonflies nor wondered how they develop, live, and eat. However, the gorgeous image on the cover
Step Gently Out by Helen Frost and illustrated by Rick Lieder (Candlewick, 2012) is a lovely poem illustrated by photographs of the smallest creatures outside. Bees on a flower, an ant, a cricket singing, a spider on a silken thread. The poem is lovely, and the pictures invite the reader in to the natural world.
The Honeybee Man by Lela Nargi and illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker (Schwartz & Wade, 2011) is based on the true story of two beekeepers who live in Brooklyn, New York. With fantastic collage and oil painting illustrations, it tells the story of Fred, who checks on his bees every morning, and at the end of the summer
My four-year-old and I read The Beeman by Laurie Krebs and illustrated by Melissa Iwai (The National Geographic Society, 2002) many times this week. In some senses, this book is simpler than the other bee books we read. Rather than providing a story, it shows, through rhyming descriptions and illustrations, the tools the beekeeper needs to take
I’ve got to admit that I love a great large, sprawling picture book that lets a little one (or myself) sink into the artwork on each page. Tiny Little Fly by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Kevin Waldron (Candlewick, November 2010), is one such book. Although there is little text in comparison to the oversized picture book pages,
Page [tcb_pagination_current_page] of [tcb_pagination_total_pages]
