Carme Lemniscates – Mom Read It

So we’re inside for a large amount of every day, but it’s still Spring outside. I’ve been looking at some beautiful picture books that celebrate the season, and thought I’d bring a little Spring to you.

The Nest That Wren Built, by Randi Sonenshine/Illustrated by Anne Hunter, (March 2020, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9781536201536

Ages 3-7

An ode to nature in the form of that most famous of cumulative poems, The House That Jack Built. Two wrens build a nest and a family that comes to life as the story progresses. Flowing with imagery and details about Carolina wrens, author Randi Sonenshine and illustrate Anne Hunter create a lovely story that gives readers new surprises to behold on every spread: This is the snakeskin warding off harm, / a scaly and thin reptilian charm, / draped on the nest that Wren built”; “This is the tuft of rabbity fur, / plucked from a sharp, persnickety burr, / to warm the nest that Wren built”. Gentle ink and pencil illustrations in natural browns and greens are just breathtaking which each spread’s reveal. A glossary and page with facts about wrens add additional learning.

An excellent choice for storytimes and for STEM/Science classes for preschoolers and kindergartners. Great inspiration for bird-related crafts and activities, like these DIY bird binoculars or this fun sensory activity. The Audobon Society has a page dedicated to the Carolina Wren, and you can read Laura Donnelly’s poem dedicated to Carolina Wrens here.

The Nest That Wren Built has a starred review from Kirkus.

Seeds, by Carme Lemniscates, (March 2020, Candlewick Press), $14.99, ISBN: 9781536208443

Ages 3-7

A narrative on the literal and metaphorical power of seeds. “They embark on amazing adventures”, author Carme Lemniscates begins, with illustrations of seed journeys via dandelion puffs and sunflower seeds; underground to sustain ant colonies, and bursting to life as flowers and food. Seeds bring life to the most unlikely places, as we all know; anyone who’s seen leaves sprout from cracks in concrete can attest to that. We are part of the seed’s life cycle as the sowers and caretakers of seeds, reminding readers that we have a big responsibility to our planet. The narrative takes on a solemn note when Lemniscates notes that “we can plant many different kinds of seeds. A smile is a powerful seed… But there are also seeds that bring anger and misunderstanding. When those seeds grow, they pull us apart. Seeds can only bring what they carry.” Pretty powerful words that need repeating. Often.

Carme Lemniscates’ mixed media illustrations bring a crisp life to the illustrations, with browns and greens from nature sharing the space with brightly colored flowers and characters. A wonderful story about friendship and nature, and how we are bound to nature. Great for preschoolers and kindergarteners.

The Seedling That Didn’t Want to Grow, by Brita Tecktentrup, (March 2020, Prestel), $14.95, ISBN: 978-3-7913-7429-1

I never hide my love for Brita Teckentrup, and The Seedling That Didn’t Want to Grow is another hit for me. A seedling takes its time growing in a forest while all the other seeds sprout up around it. Forest friends Ladybird (I love that word) and Ant wait patiently, and when the seedling begins sprouting, Ant and Ladybird follow it along its path, with other forest creatures joining them along their way. The seedling sprouts into a bush full of blossoms, giving home to forest animals who live in her leaves, filling her with “love and life”, but Fall eventually comes, and the animals tearfully say goodbye. But Spring will come again, and with it, a new batch of seedlings, left by their friend.

An aching, unfussy story of friendship set within the nature cycle, The Seedling That Didn’t Want To Grow is filled with catch-your-breath moments: each friend guarding and guiding the seedling as it grows; the change in perspective to showcase the seedling at full growth, housing butterflies, bees, moths, and more; Little Mouse’s farewell… just gorgeous moments, made even more touching by the deep colors of nature and the collage-like feel of the artwork. This is definitely a book on my storytime shelf.

Hello, I’m Here!, by Helen Frost/Photographs by Rick Lieder, (March 2019, Candlewick Press), $16.99, ISBN: 9780763698584

Ages 2-5

With rhyming text accompanying beautiful wildlife photos, Hello, I’m Here! is the story of an adorable sandhill crane chick hatching and exploring its new world. The hatchling and its sibling splash around in the water and enjoy some bugs and snails under the watchful guidance of their Mama and Papa, always nearby. The photographs are beautiful, allowing readers to enjoy the fuzzy, long-legged chicks and the stunning adult birds’ coloring. The photos have incredible texture; the birds’ feathers look like they’d ruffle under one’s hand, and the chicks look so fuzzy, you’ll want to run your finger across their heads. The photos of the birds in flight are stunning. The text is sweet and has a comforting cadence; the sentences are short and put readers in the chick’s place as it discovers the world around it. An author note about sandhill cranes has some great additional information for readers: did you know that parents and chicks communicate while the chicks are still in their eggs? That went over really well when I told the parents! I love being able to add little facts like that in a storytime. The endpapers have beautiful photos of a baby sandhill crane and its parent, and of four cranes flying across the sky at sunset. Absolutely breathtaking.

I tried Hello, I’m Here! out in a recent storytime, and the kids and parents alike loved it. The parents gestured to the pages quite often, impressed with the photos, and the little ones loved hearing about the little bird taking its first steps, flapping around with its sibling, and watching other cranes fly overhead. This is a great choice for a nature/discovery/science storytime, a spring storytime, and just a plain, good storytime for the little ones. I would also read Alex Latimer’s Am I Yours? as a companion to this one: it’s got dinosaurs, but the whole story of a baby dino in its egg talking to prospective parents is just too cute to pass up.

Hello, I’m Here! has a starred review from Kirkus. This is the fifth book that Helen Frost and Rick Lieder have collaborated on; all of which have received starred reviews from Kirkus.

Birds, by Carme Lemniscates, (March 2019, Candlewick Press), $14.99, ISBN: 9781536201789

Ages 2-5

Next up, I read Birds, by Carme Lemniscates. It’s a nonfiction book of a different sort, with bright, bold mixed media illustrations of various birds and two children enjoying their company. The text reads like a poetic ode to birds, starting first with descriptive sentences: “Some birds are really big/Others are tiny/Some like to show off, while others would rather watch”, moving into more illustrative musings: “A bird’s song is like the loving words of a friend/A happy song that greets us every morning/And our hearts sing, too, because birds are like good news coming”. Eagles, owls, peacocks, and hummingbirds all find a home here, as do parrots, toucans, and Canadian geese. It’s a celebration of birds, of spring, and of nature. The endpapers feature bright and bold feathers, some that you’ll recognize right away, like the peacock’s; some, you may have to guess at (is that black and white spotted one a woodpecker or a guinea fowl?). Let the kids color some feathers of their own as an after-storytime craft.

Birds went over nicely in storytime. The kids loved the bright colors and enjoyed calling out birds they recognized. We made some bird sounds (honking for the Canadian geese went over well, as did the parrot caws) and spread our arms to soar and flap like the birds do. It’s a nice addition to picture books where nature and birds are popular.

Tag: Carme Lemniscates

Books from Quarantine: Spring Picture Books

Birds, Birds, Birds: Hello, I’m Here! A new bird greets the world, and Carme Lemniscrates’s Birds