An early, age-appropriate lesson in how to appreciate the natural world.
Rhymes and pictures urge us to protect the fragility of deceptively sturdy-looking, wildlife-rich meadows.
As in Eat Up, Bear! (2021), author and illustrator again team up to show small folks—and their parents—how to enjoy nature without harming it. The opening spread shows heedless human behavior (littering, flower-picking) in a lovely natural site, but the rest of the book instructs readers how to treat flora and fauna with respect (staying on the trail, observing wildlife from a distance). A rocking, slightly evolving refrain appears on most spreads: “Hello, Meadow! How are you? / We can help our meadows, too!” The simply drawn, brightly hued illustrations are graced with a multitude of accurately depicted plants and animals: red-shouldered hawk, Turk’s-cap lilies, lupine, blue flags, milkweed, monarch butterflies, red-winged blackbird, and much more (though none are identified as such in the text). The friendly mouse on the cover can be spotted on every page, and in the final spread, the very people who were endangering the meadow back at the start are now enjoying the same activities without risking harm to the environment. The last couplet underscores the point: “Every grown-up, every child, / can help keep meadows strong and wild.” Human characters vary in skin color and age, from a bespectacled, light-skinned older adult to a brown-skinned infant in a carrier. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An early, age-appropriate lesson in how to appreciate the natural world. (Board book. 1-4)Pub Date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781951179250
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Yosemite Conservancy
Review Posted Online: Jan. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2023
The slightly didactic message of tolerance and inclusiveness is made palatable by the gardening analogy, and this book will...
This attractive picture book for the very young from accomplished illustrator and debut author Gillingham explores a thoughtful analogy between gardening and friendship.
The parallels between growing things and making new friends are illustrated with simple instructions, matched with Gillingham’s pastel-shaded woodcut-and-collaged illustrations. Just like seeds and plants, friendships need to be sown, tended and cultivated. “A friend needs water… / warm sunshine… // and space to bloom.” It is a two-way process: “To grow a friend, talk / and listen”; “Good friends stand by each other in rain / or shine.” With friendships, as with flowers, things can go wrong: “Sometimes a friend bugs you.” (Bugs literally buzz around their heads on a page where the friends are wrestling for control of a potted plant.) But “[t]o grow a friend, / chase the bugs away together!” The girl finds a solution to their argument by giving the boy a ride in a wheelbarrow. A subtly diverse selection of kids and adults are portrayed enjoying one another’s company and working together to cultivate their gardens. Children, flowers, birds, trees and seasons are skillfully illustrated using multicolored patterns and shapes that will have considerable visual appeal for preschoolers.
The slightly didactic message of tolerance and inclusiveness is made palatable by the gardening analogy, and this book will encourage young friendships to bloom. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Jan. 6, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-385-37669-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
An irresistible glimpse at the delights of spring.
Kurilla’s latest seasonal tale explores the ways the world comes back to life after winter.
The author/illustrator explores the hallmarks of spring: rainy days, the reemergence of animals and insects, the appearance of buds and blooms, and holidays like Easter, Passover, and Mother’s Day. The rhyming verse bounces along, exhorting readers to take part in all the season has to offer: “Grow flowers for the bumblebees. / Hang a feeder. / Plant some trees.” “Crack a baseball! / Fly a kite! / Enjoy the extra spring sunlight.” The concise text and exuberant tone result in a book that’s just right for the eager ears of the toddler and preschool crowd. Kurilla’s cartoonish illustrations are a standout, too. Filled with greens and blues as well as pops of pink and yellow, they truly evoke spring’s charms. An especially enticing spread perfectly captures the joys of the season: A child bikes through a puddle, a youngster in a wheelchair blows bubbles that rise to the top of the page, and two kids in the background stomp in the mud. Kurilla varies page compositions, alternating vignettes with full-page spreads; her visuals pair well with her text while encouraging readers to linger over details. The cast is diverse in terms of skin color, hairstyle, and ability.
An irresistible glimpse at the delights of spring. (Picture book. 2-4)Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2026
ISBN: 9780316570152
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
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