Catch the Sky

October 19, 2020
This collection of 30 poems celebrates the sights of the sky, taking readers gradually from sunrise to sunset via scenery from around the world. True to the title, Heidbreder describes a wide range of aerial views, including weather (storms), wildlife (starlings), and manufactured objects (helicopters), with one word described in poetry on each page. Most of the poems are quatrains penned in accessibly simple diction, with a spry cleverness apparent throughout (“kites bound to ground / sky-dive everywhere”). Dove’s spongy textured landscapes are rendered in inviting, softly colored gradients; digital illustrations portray people of different skin tones, religions, and abilities celebrating the air we all breathe. These lighthearted poems will entertain the youngest nature and poetry enthusiasts. Ages 3–8.

June 15, 2020
Thirty short poems celebrate what might be seen in the "air we share" around the world in this Canadian import. From a rosy dawn to moonlit night, Heidbreder lyrically limns the sunshine, clouds, northern lights, and snowflakes; the insects, birds, and bats; and even human contributions, including helicopters, paragliders, and fireworks--examples of "sky's treasures" we see and share. His quatrains are simply titled and carefully arranged, not only across the day, but in clear pairs: wind and leaves, squirrels and starlings on electric wires, kites and birthday helium balloons (tethered but still unfortunate in a collection celebrating the environment). A longtime writer of poetry for young people, this Canadian author makes the rhyming, alliteration, and scansion seem effortless, and the verbs do double duty. A dragonfly's "gleaming wings / glitter the air"; a "rumbling storm train / thunders the sky." The imagery is memorable: "Black on black, / swish-soft swirls. / Night bats feast / in whirling twirls." Dove's colorful illustrations support the title's message, showing children with varying skin tones, hair, and head coverings in a wide variety of settings. Two different children use wheelchairs. There are city apartments, parks, a tropical beach, and a snowy Arctic village, all shown in spreads that reinforce the sense of a passing day. Deceptively simple but clever and effective for the pre- and primary school nature shelves. (Picture book/poetry. 3-8)

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July 1, 2020
Preschool-G Thirty-one short poems with no more than 18 words each capture a wide variety of objects that fly, float, soar, or simply exist in the air around and above us. The lyrical poems begin with their subject printed in italics at the start: Leaves / Swinging, clinging, / all sizes and shapes, / leaves wait for fall / to make their escapes. Bats, starlings, hot-air balloons, clouds, kites, helicopters, and sunflowers are just a few of the topics that Heidbreder has chosen to feature with his poetic language. Dove's soft, colorful, digitally enhanced watercolor illustrations reveal an idealized natural environment filled with the wonder of the air around and the sky above us. A multicultural cast of children are shown reveling in the outdoors and witnessing much of what it has to offer. From Sunrise to Good Night, Sky, readers are encouraged to observe and appreciate the natural world around them.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)