Cole’s book is like a quick visit to the natural-history museum; each of four triple-page spreads resembles a diorama of old—a snapshot of a particular environment and the creatures it hosts. There are four environments—wood, meadow, stream, pond—and each is briefly introduced (“I lay down in the middle of the meadow and smelled the sweet red clover. I saw . . .”) before the flap folds out to reveal a tableau. On a final page, Cole (Jack’s Garden, 1995) notes the 12—15 creatures to be found on each page, a list that is almost identical to the main text but for the numbers that key the items into the pictures. Still, the book conveys the notion of community and coexistence, in artwork that is delightfully fresh. (Picture book. 4-8)
