A New Green Day

Starred review from February 17, 2020
Giving voice to wonders great and small, Portis (Hey, Water!) crafts short poems about natural things and events encountered over the course of a summer day: a tadpole, thunder, an inchworm, mud. Each voice poses a provocative, lyrical riddle answered through the turn of a page: “Morning lays me on your pillow,/ an invitation, square and warm./ Come out and play!” An envelope? No. The page turn reveals a patch of sunlight, dense with shadows of leaves and branches, falling across a sleeping child’s dark braid. Textures abound: “I’m a candy sucked smooth/ in the river’s mouth./ Let me sweeten your pocket” reveals a piebald pebble. A veined leaf duplicates a tree’s silhouette, fuzzy tendrils trail from a passing cloud, and starry night falls, “a black coat/ slipped around/ Earth’s shoulders.” The power of Portis’s poems, and the surprise each page turn allows, lets readers experience familiar moments with awakened senses, offering them nothing less than a new world filled with fresh experiences. Ages 3–7. Agent: Deborah Warren, East/West Literary.

March 15, 2020
In a series of nature riddles that beg to be read aloud, a child finds joy and wonder in the great outdoors. Prolific author and illustrator Portis leads readers through a summer day spent outside. Through gentle, brain-teasing verse, aspects of the natural world introduce themselves to the story's only human character, who sports dark pigtails and a warm brown complexion. As readers follow along, they too are treated to a delightful guessing game: Based on the poetically brief clues, what everyday plant, animal, or weather pattern is calling out to be discovered by the protagonist? For example: "I'm a mountain that moves. Look, I come to you," one clue begins. With the turn of the page, the natural element's identity is revealed with the simple completion of the sentence: "says cloud," here accompanied by a breezy, textured illustration of an overcast sky. Because the answer to each riddle is declared on the subsequent spread, readers have a chance to brainstorm as they approach each intimation. Though this formula carries throughout the text, the book remains straightforward and engaging thanks to Portis' fresh take on familiar outdoor sights. Very young children will love reading along with adults, who can help them make sense of the sometimes-abstract hints; older kids will have fun making guesses on their own. This sweet celebration of summertime, nature, and youthful curiosity is a worthy addition to school and public libraries and personal collections alike. Simple, poetic, and fun. (Picture book. 4-9)

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April 15, 2020
Preschool-G Portis' engaging offering is a lyrical guessing-game tribute to summer and a few of its unique features. The appealing format is arranged in three- to five-line riddles placed on a square of solid color on the right-hand page?for example, I scribble on the walk in glistening ink. Read all about my nighttime travels. Readers are invited to guess which aspect of summer is the correct answer. When the page is turned, the solution appears in hand-stamped text: says snail. The resolution is accompanied by an illustration of the tan-and-rust-colored gastropod on a concrete sidewalk, with dotted lines revealing its loopy trail. The author's attractive illustrations were created using charcoal, leaf prints, and brush and ink; color was then added digitally. Words attributed to the season include tadpole, sunlight, cloud, inchworm, and thunder. From morning through night, the circular tale shows one brown-skinned girl experiencing multiple sights, sounds, and adventures on a warm day spent enjoying nature.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

May 22, 2020

Gr 2-4-In Portis's latest nonfiction picture book, a nameless girl is awoken by the sun streaming through her window. The narrative then focuses on the everyday happenings of the natural world. Throughout the book, children are shown engaging in physical activities. They peek into ponds, squish their toes in the mud, and play in the rain. By spotlighting the small details of a child's experience, Portis showcases the power of wonder and curiosity. This book would be excellent for lessons introducing poetry, especially to support discussions regarding metaphor and poetic form. Each text-only page provides a new stanza about a child's environment. The subsequent page identifies the subject of the previous stanza. The stanzas are short, making this book appropriate for younger children as well as older ones. Overall, the book is dazzling. The use of long lines and beautifully flowing language sustains a calm pace and creates a soft tone. The simple illustrations appear to be painted with broad brush strokes. Muted colors harmonize with the language. Some of the illustrations appear to be leaf pressings, which could inspire an engaging project for classrooms. VERDICT A stunning picture book that depicts children exploring the outside world. An excellent resource for teaching poetry, inference, and prediction. Highly recommended for elementary collections.-Christina Salazar, Mesquite I.S.D., TX

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