Peboan and Seegwun, by Charles Larry.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1993. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-37435-773-0.

An old man sits alone in his lodge at the end of the winter, listening to the winds blowing across the hard snow. One day, he has a young visitor with whom he shares a pipe. The two also share stories of their powers. The old man can make the leaves fall from the trees. The young man can unlock the streams which fill the air with musical laughter. As spring begins to come into the land, the young man, Seegwun, the Spirit of Spring, recognizes his elder host as none other than Peboan, Old Man Winter. Strikingly detailed illustrations animate the changing seasons of the North Woods in this Ojibwa story.


The People Who Hugged the Trees, adapted by Deborah Lee Rose, illustrations by Birgitta Säflund.
Niwot, Colorado: Roberts Rinehart, Inc., 1990. 32pp. Ages 7-12. HC ISBN: 0-91179-780-7.

Trees shade people from the hot desert sun, they guard people from desert sandstorms, and they show desert people where there is water. In this story, a brave woman called Amrita recognizes the value of trees, so when the Maharajah threatens to cut them down, she inspires all the townspeople to hug the trees, and stand in the way of the axe men. Intricate watercolors are a delightful accompaniment to this retelling of a story from the Chipko people of Rajasthan, India.


Planting a Rainbow, by Lois Ehlert.
New York: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1988. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-15262-609-3, PB: 0-15262-610-7, oversized PB: 0-15262-611-5.

This colorful book will bring out the gardener in every child. The act of planting a flower and watching it grow comes to life with bold, bright pictures of flowers of all colors, shapes, and sizes. Gardening is a year-round pastime: bulbs are planted in the fall; seeds are ordered from catalogs in winter; seedlings are selected at the garden center in spring; and flowers are picked all summer long. A child's fascination with growing things is captured in this story for all seasons.


Play With Me, by Marie Hall Ets.
New York: Viking , 1955. 32pp. Ages 3-5. HC ISBN: 0-67055-977-6, PB: 0-14050-178-9.

This charming book portrays a little girl's adventures in a meadow. She approaches a number of different animals, asking them if they will play with her, but the animals just continue going about their business. Eventually, she gives up, sits down by a pond to watch the bugs making trails in the water, and blows the seeds from a milkweed pod. While she is sitting in silence, all of the animals finally come and begin to play with her.


Prince William, by Gloria Rand, illustrated by Ted Rand.
New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1992. 32pp. Ages 6-8. HC ISBN: 0-80501-841-7.

A young girl ventures to the beach in the aftermath of the Alaskan oil spill and finds a young seal pup on the shore, coated with oil. She and her mother rush the pup to a rescue center in the town's gym. They monitor his progress, and accompany the doctor when he goes to set the rehabilitated seal free. Bright and vibrant illustrations chronicle the young girl's relationship to Prince William, the seal, and record the devastating effects of this environmental catastrophe.


Prize in the Snow, by Bill Easterling, illustrated by Mary Beth Owens.
New York: Little, Brown and Co., 1994. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-31622-489-8.

In this story, a young boy traipses off into the woods with a box, a stick, a piece of string, and a carrot. He plans to become a great hunter, like his brother and the rest of the older boys. After a long, cold wait deep in the snow, a little rabbit moves tentatively toward the trap that the boy has set up. When he has caught the rabbit, and lifts the box to peek inside, he is struck by how skinny and hungry the animal is. Instead of finding a way to bring the rabbit back as his prize, the boy moves the trap away, leaves the carrot, and steps back behind the tree, hoping the rabbit will eat. Driven by his newly found sensitivity toward animals, the boy resolves to bring more food back the following day. The crisp, clean illustrations lead us through this boy's memorable encounter with the natural world.


Pumpkins, by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Barry Root.
New York, Harcourt Brace and Co., 1992. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-15252-252-2.

Here is an epic tale of one man's efforts to save a field from development. After trying to gather the money to buy the field, and considering the planting of cash crops, the man chooses to plant pumpkins. The pumpkins grow in abundance, so the man develops a marketing plan that will take the crop, as well as various traditions such as carving jack-o-lanterns and baking pumpkin pie, to countries all over the world. The revenue from the pumpkin sales is enough to buy the field. In the end, rather than planting more pumpkins to generate more revenue, the man is content to sit with his dog in the company of the field, looking on as night comes and goes. The soft, colorful illustrations are as touching as this spirited story.


Quiet, by Peter Parnall.
New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1989. 32pp. Ages 3-6. HC ISBN: 0-68808-204-1.

Lying silently in a field, a boy is visited by many animals. Raven, Chipmunk, and Chickadee visit as long as the quiet persists. And the animals come close; they are not afraid. Through suggestive text and insightful illustrations, this special story offers a sense of the kinship between children and nature, and the silent communication that sustains that relationship.


Rabbit Seeds, by Bijou Le Tord.
New York: Dell Publishing, 1993. 32pp. Ages 3-6. PB ISBN: 0-44040-767-2.

Rabbit is a master gardener. He waits through winter until the last patches of ice and snow are gone. Then he begins digging, raking, tilling, and planting his garden. After the sun and the earth do their work, the garden provides a bountiful harvest for Rabbit. When autumn comes and the leaves drop, the gardener puts away his tools. The story shows how the vegetables and fruits that we eat come from the land, and, together with the comic illustrations, demonstrates the beauty and simplicity of tending a garden.


Rain Rain Rivers, by Uri Shulevitz.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1969. 32pp. Ages 3-8. HC ISBN: 0-37436-171-1, PB: 0-37446-195-3.

This evocative poem describes how the natural world and its inhabitants welcome the rain and frolic in the surplus of water that remains after the rain has ceased. Streams rush with water and children play barefoot in the mud while the sky is reflected in puddles on the street. Sensitively detailed illustrations draw the reader into the experience of rain, and how it changes both one's mood and the landscape.


Red Fox Running, by Eve Bunting, paintings by Wendell Minor.
New York: Clarion Books, 1993. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-39558-919-3.

The rhythmic text and exquisite paintings of this book present the sensations of moving through a wintry landscape. The poem itself follows the path of a red fox who has emerged in winter to find food for his hungry family. Stunning full-spread illustrations of his quest lead readers on a delightful journey of their own.


Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf, by Lois Ehlert.
New York: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1991. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-15266-197-2.

Lois Ehlert's striking collages constructed from paper, fabrics, paints, pens, seeds, and leaves create a magical look at one child's special relationship with a sugar maple. The young narrator of the story explains how the tree took seed, grew, was harvested, and taken to the garden center. Then the child goes to the center, chooses the tree from many, plants it at home, and watches it through the seasons. There is an informative glossary at the end explaining the parts of the tree followed by instructions for planting a tree, so be prepared to make a run to the garden center yourself when you're through reading.


Ring of Earth, by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Wallner.
New York: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1986. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-15267-140-4.

Through poetic thoughts and magical paintings this book portrays the rhythms and cycles of the natural world from winter to the following summer. Children and adults alike should revel in the descriptions of our world, where all life is joined together in the cycle of the seasons.


A River Ran Wild, by Lynne Cherry.
New York: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1992. 32pp. Ages 6-10. HC ISBN: 0-15200-542-0.

The Native American Indians settle on the Nashua River, named for its crystal clear water. Years later, the European settlers begin the industrialization that eventually renders the river polluted, until the committed efforts of a few individuals restore the river to a healthy state. Large, detailed illustrations serve as a beautiful companion to this compelling story. Smaller pictures surrounding the text of each page offer images of people, places, objects, and events associated with each period of the river's history.


The Rock, by Peter Parnall.
New York: Macmillan, 1991. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-02770-181-6.

The rock, as you may have guessed, is the focus of this story. We see how a deer, a moose, a beaver, a mouse, and a hawk have spent time in the crevices and around the base of this rock. Moss, lichens, ferns, and berries also live there. At one time, a bolt of lightning struck a tree near the rock, rendering the surrounding area black and charred. Parnall's insightful text and illustrations assure readers of the regenerative powers of nature and lend insight into the interrelatedness of natural communities.


A Rumbly Tumbly Glittery Gritty Place, by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Douglas Florian.
New York: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1993. 32pp. Ages 3-6. HC ISBN: 0-15292-861-8.

A gravel pit is transformed, in one child's imagination, from the ugly scarred place that adults see, to a beach without the ocean, a mountain waiting to be climbed, an album that displays the tracks of all the animals who have made their way across its soft surface. This rumbly tumbly glittery gritty place is filled with gray rocks, brown rocks, pink rocks, and shiny rocks-more than you have pockets for!

The Salamander Room, by Anne Mazer, illustrated by Steve Johnson.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1991. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-39482-945-X.

A young child finds a salamander in the woods and wishes to take it home with him. By the time the boy has considered all of the needs of the salamander, he has imagined importing bullfrogs and insects, birds, tall trees and vines, lifting the roof off his room so the sunlight and the rain can come in, and inviting salamander friends, so that the first will not get lonely. He consequently realizes that his bedroom is not an appropriate home for this creature. Soft, imaginative illustrations portray the natural features-plants, insects, frogs, birds, and sunlight-that the boy envisions in his bedroom.


The School of Names, by M.B. Goffstein.
New York: HarperCollins, 1986. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-06021-984-X.

This little book gives an all-encompassing view of the wide scope and variety of natural beings and features that we share the planet with. It is based on the belief that greeting something or someone by name initiates a relationship with its deeper spirit. Stars, rivers, deserts, winds, flowers, trees, rocks, and oceans are among the names that are taught at the "school of names." Sparse text and simple, eloquent illustrations lend insight into how humans can cultivate spiritual connections to the natural world.


The Seashore Book, by Charlotte Zolotow, paintings by Wendell Minor.
New York: HarperCollins, 1992. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-060020-213-0.

A boy who had grown up in the mountains asks of his mother one night "what is the seashore like?" What follows is an imaginative sensory adventure through a day at the seashore, from watching the sun break through the morning mist to picking up shells at the water's edge, from listening to the sounds of the wind and the waves to watching the big orange sun sink down from the top of a dune. Exquisite paintings delightfully depict the full range of seashore activities with great attentiveness.


Sierra, by Diane Siebert, paintings by Wendell Minor.
New York: HarperCollins, 1991. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-06021-639-5.

The story's words and pictures eloquently describe the plant and animal communities that mountain climates support, as well as the negative ways that humans have influenced mountain ecosystems. A particular mountain tells its history from geologic uplift and glaciation, up to its present climatic conditions, speaking of how all features of an ecosystem are interrelated.


Signs Along the River, by Kayo Robertson.
Niwot, Colorado: Roberts Rinehart, Inc., 1986. 64pp. Ages 3-8. PB ISBN: 0-91179-722-X.

"Long ago, before the time of books, people read the signs of nature. A track, the gnawings on a twig, or some bent grasses each told a story. If you look, you too can learn to read these signs and a whole new world will open." This little book with its black and white illustrations encourages children to engage their five senses in learning to read the landscape. It explains the subtle signs of seasons and of animal presences, letting readers extrapolate the stories that these signs have to tell.


The Snail's Spell, by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Lynne Cherry.
New York: Viking, 1982. 32pp. Ages 4-6. HC ISBN: 0-67084-385-7, PB: 0-14050-891-0.

Here is a chance to glide through the garden as a snail would, eating bits of lettuce leaf, touching things with feelers, then resting, tucked inside a hard shell for safety. The delightfully detailed illustrations depict the garden from the snails perspective-flowers, vegetables, and clods of dirt, up close.


A Snake in the House, by Faith McNulty, illustrated by Ted Rand.
New York: Scholastic, 1994. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-59044-758-0.

When a boy captures a snake in a jar and brings it home, he must search for a cage to keep it in. While he is searching, the snake finds its way out of the jar-now there's a snake in the house. The story and delightfully realistic illustrations recount the events from the snake's point of view: as it slides under the sink, through a pile of rags and into a frying pan; as it encounters the cat, the vacuum cleaner, and a can of earthworms that the boy then takes fishing. The story ends when the boy goes to the pond, and, finding the snake in his fishing basket, builds up the courage to set it free. He then delights in seeing the snake back in its natural home.


The Snow Goose, by Pirkko Vainio.
New York: North-South Books, 1993. 26pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 1-55858-194-4.

Anna builds a goose out of snow one winter day and dreams, that night, of flying high over the land on the goose's back. But when she rises, the snow goose is gone. Anna suspects that the goose has flown away, but will she find her way back? Later, in the spring, Grandpa brings home a sick goose that he and Anna attend to. The goose dies though, leaving behind an egg, which soon hatches. Anna nurtures the young gosling and plays with it throughout the summer. Eventually, the young goose rises to join a flock of geese flying overhead. This special story and its soft, flowing illustrations portray a child's capacity for bonding with animals, and the difficult but inevitable lesson of learning to let wild things go free.


The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats.
New York: Viking, 1962. 40pp. Ages 4-6. HC ISBN: 0-670-65400-0, PB: 0-14050-182-7.

This story chronicles a child's journey in the fresh world of newly fallen snow. Peter awakes, quickly puts on his snowsuit, and ventures outside. He plays with his footprints in the snow, climbs a big snow mountain, and makes a snowman and snow angels. Cheerful illustrations and a timeless story line enable this book to portray a child's delight with the snowy world, especially when Peter sticks a snowball in his pocket, and is surprised to find it missing once he's been inside for a time.


Someday a Tree, by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ronald Himler.
New York: Clarion Books, 1993. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-39561-309-4.

Over the years Alice has developed a strong affection for the oak tree near the highway at the edge of her family's farm. So when the tree becomes sick, Alice is devastated. Many people are engaged in efforts to save the tree, but nothing helps-until Alice remembers the jar of acorns on her windowsill. Even though the tree cannot be saved, Alice realizes that she can plant an acorn, and maybe, someday, there will again be a healthy tree growing there. The soft, sensitive illustrations provide a delightful companion to this moving story.


The Star Maiden, retold by Barbara Juster Esbensen, illustrated by Helen K. Davie.
Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1988. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-31624-951-3, PB: 0-31624-955-6.

This poetic adaptation of an Ojibway tale portrays native people's magical perceptions of the natural world in which they live. The tale tells of a star maiden who wishes to live on earth with the people whom she loves. Melodic text and dazzling illustrations depict her various efforts to find a home on the land and reveal the secret of where she and many other stars can be found residing, even today.


Stellaluna, by Janell Cannon.
New York: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1993. 46pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-15280-217-7.

The baby fruit bat Stellaluna becomes separated from her mother and ends up among a family of birds. With nowhere to go and no way to get food, Stellaluna quickly adapts to the birds' way of life, eating bugs, sleeping in a nest, and never ever hanging by her feet. One day, while hanging by her arms, Stellaluna is discovered by her lost family of bats. After being reunited with Mother Bat, she learns bat behavior, and enthusiastically tries to share things such as eating mangoes and flying at night with her bird friends. Exquisite pencil and acrylic illustrations portray the creatures in a realistic, yet playful manner. Eventually, the birds and the bats learn, as all good friends must, that relationships are based on appreciating one another for your differences.


Step into the Night, by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Dennis Nolan.
New York: Four Winds Press, 1988. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-02777-951-3.

Children are urged to acquaint themselves with the animals of the night as they introduce themselves one by one in this story. This fun book allows the reader to experience night through the eyes of creatures who stir in the darkness and moonbeams. Illuminating illustrations portray the diversity of life that abounds when the sun goes down.


Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, by Robert Frost, illustrated by Susan Jeffers.
New York: E.P. Dutton, 1978. Ages 4 and up. HC ISBN: 0-52540-115-6.

Here is Frost's wonderful poem evoking the sights, sounds, and sensations of winter, embellished by wonderful illustrations. A traveler stops for a breif moment to revel in the falling snow, but as we know, he has "promises to keep, and miles to go before he sleeps." Susan Jeffers's pencil drawings portray in great detail the sensations of cold and silence, as well as the soft feelings and textures of the winter world.


The Sun, the Wind and the Rain, by Lisa Westberg Peters, illustrated by Ted Rand.
New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1988. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-80500-699-0, PB: 0-80501-481-0.

This clever book tells the story of two mountains being built. One is the slow building of an earth mountain, the other, a mountain in the sand, built by the story's young child, Elizabeth. The earth made its mountain millions of years ago; Elizabeth is making hers on the beach today. The story explains, in simple language, with clean, bright illustrations, the geologic concepts of mountain building, and the counter-effects of the sun, the wind, and the rain.


The Sunflower, by Marliese Dieckmann, adapted from German by Barbara Ciletti, illustrated by Christel Rosenfeld.
Niwot, Colorado: Roberts Rinehart, Inc., 1994. 24pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 1-87937-375-0.

In winter, at the window box where Niko lives, a little chickadee comes looking for food. Niko's mother makes a ball of lard covered with nuts and seeds for the hungry bird. When the weather warms and the chickadee stops coming, it's time to plant new flowers in the window box. But alas, there's already a seedling springing forth. It's a sunflower plant from one of the seeds, and Niko transplants it into a pot where he watches it grow and grow. In autumn, when the flower dies, he grows sad, but his mother assures him that he can feed the chickadee next winter with the seeds from the flower-the flower that grew from the seeds that were left from the previous year. This is a delightful tale of regeneration with brilliant, detailed illustrations.


The Sun's Asleep Behind the Hill, adapted from an Armenian song by Mirra Ginsburg, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky.
New York: Greenwillow Books, 1982. 32pp. Ages 3-6. HC ISBN: 0-68800-824-0.

This song begins when the sun goes to sleep. Then, the breeze ceases to blow, the leaves stop shaking, the birds end their songs, and the squirrel stops gathering nuts. So the child too must go to sleep at the end of a long day. Thoughtful illustrations portray these changes, ending with the silver light of the moon shining all night in the sky.


This House is Made of Mud, by Ken Buchanan, illustrated by Libba Tracy.
Flagstaff, Arizona: Northland Publishing, 1991. 32pp. Ages 3-6. HC ISBN: 0-87358-518-6.

A family builds a house from earth, water, and straw. It is round like the earth, sun, and moon, with many windows for the breeze to blow through. The family lives in harmony with their animals tenants: insects crawl on the walls; mice inhabit the floor; and the family pets-a dog, a cat, a bird, and a snake-live there too. Their yard is one with the desert, and the surrounding mountains serve as fences. Gentle watercolors portray how all of the plants, animals, and weather conditions share a desert home with this family.


Time of Wonder, by Robert McCloskey.
New York: The Viking Press, 1957. 64 pp. Ages 5-8. HC ISBN: 0-670-71512-3, PB: 0-14050-201-7.

Here is the story of a magical summer in the islands of Maine. Children frolic in the forests and the seas, attentively watch fiddlehead ferns unfurl, jump off a rock that the glaciers carved, and look into the water at the reflection of the stars. Then we witness the arrival of a hurricane, and all the preparation that precedes a natural event of such intensity. In the calm silence of the morning after, we explore the tops of felled trees and watch storm-flattened sunflowers stretch their heads towards the sun once again. The pages of this book extoll the wonders of the world of summer through the curious eyes of a child.


A Tree in a Forest, by Jan Thornhill.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991. 40pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-67175-901-9.

This is the story of the 200-year life span of one tree, beginning with a maple key gently dropping to the ground and taking seed. The tree is observed from season to season, through storms and fires and numerous animal occupancies. A community of plants and animals live on its nutrients when the tree decomposes and dies. Vivid pictures follow the tree through the many changes that the years bring.


The Tree in the Wood, by Christopher Manson.
New York: North-South Books, 1993. 24pp. Ages 4-6. HC ISBN: 1-55858-192-8, PB: 1-55858-320-3.

This book is a delightfully illustrated version of a classic folk song based on the interrelationships of the world. Beginning with the tree in the wood, the story traces these relationships, from a feather on a bird, and the bird on a nest, and the nest on a twig, and the twig on a bough, etc., to the birth of a child who plants an acorn from which a new tree grows. Richly colored woodcuts depict each verse and the chorus, which resounds "And the green grass grew all around."


The Tree of Here, by Chiam Potok, illustrated by Tony Auth.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993. 42pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-67984-010-9.

When Jason's father gets promoted, the whole family must prepare to move to Boston. But Jason doesn't want to leave his friends, his neighborhood, or the dogwood tree his yard. Just as he is about to leave, Mr. Healy, the gardener who has taught Jason about the dogwood-about its primary roots, secondary roots, taproot, and trunk-gives Jason a young dogwood to take to Boston. This touching story and its animated illustrations explore the concept of putting down roots, both literally and figuratively. It teaches that establishing a sense of place means not only making friends with other children, but with the trees and other natural beings who share the place where you live.


Trees, by Harry Behn, illustrated by James Endicott.
New York: Henry Holt and Co., 1992. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-80501-926-X, PB 0-80503-350-8.

This poem celebrates the special characteristics of trees. From spreading shade for sleepy cows to being the last to hold the light of day, trees perform many crucial functions in our world. Simple, yet striking illustrations are a perfect companion for this magical poem-a delightful opportunity for children to contemplate the intricacies of trees.

Under Your Feet, by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Dennis Nolan.
New York: Four Winds Press, 1990. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-02777-955-6.

Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, there are creatures under your feet. Beneath the soil creatures crawl, others are hibernating under piles of snow, a cricket rests under a stone, and fish dart beneath the surface of a pond. This poetic story and creative illustrations show how a child's activities above ground are paralleled by creatures beneath the surface.


The Vegetables Go to Bed, by Christopher King, illustrated by Mary GranPré.
New York: Crown Publishers, 1994. 24pp. Ages 3-6. HC ISBN: 0-51759-125-1.

Here is the perfect bedtime story for the budding gardener. Colorful, vivacious illustrations show the vegetables as they bed down: tomatoes washing their ruddy cheeks with dew; cornstalks bathing their tender ears; carrots combing their tassels. The potatoes close their eyes as they listen to the bell peppers's lullabies. "Shhh! The vegetables are sleeping, on the stalk, or on the vine, or in the ground. And, strange as it may sound, without their even knowing, each vegetable is growing."


Waiting for the Whales, by Sheryl McFarlane, illustrated by Ron Lightburn.
New York: Philomel Books, 1991. 32pp. Ages 4-6. HC ISBN: 0-39922-515-3.

This book subtly shows one family's journey through the cycles of nature and the cycles of life. Grandfather gardens in summer, walks in the woods in autumn, and observes the eagles, herons, and seals all year long. But each year, the most remarkable thing is the migration of the orcas, who come one summer evening on their way up the coast. When grandfather dies, the granddaughter continues the tradition of waiting for the whales, knowing that her grandfather's spirit is likely roaming the seas with the orcas that he loved so dearly. Soft, evocative illustrations sensitively follow the story through its seasons.


Warm As Wool, by Scott Russell Sanders, illustrated by Helen Cogancherry.
New York: Bradbury Press, 1992. 32pp. Ages 4-10. HC ISBN: 0-02778-139-9.

Here is the story of a pioneer family settling in Ohio, shivering through their first wicked winter there. Betsy Ward, wife of Josiah, and mother of three children had stashed away a sockful of coins, hoping to buy some sheep to spin wool and make britches, frocks, and blankets for her freezing family. When a sheep drover passes one day, she coaxes him into selling her eight sheep. Some fall casualty to poison weed, wolves, and one drowns in the creek, but the one ewe that survives gives birth to some lambs. Eventually the family has wool enough to keep warm through whatever weather chills the dark woods of Ohio.


The Water's Journey, by Eleonore Schmid.
New York: North-South Books, 1989. 32pp. Ages 5-8. HC ISBN: 1-55858-013-1, PB: 1-55858-360-2.

This book uses simple language to explain the complexities of the water cycle. It tells the story of tiny drops of water freezing, falling as snowflakes, journeying all the way to the ocean, only to evaporate and return to the sky. The paintings visually depict the segments of the journey and lend insight into how water affects rocks, plants, animals, and people.


We Got Here Together, by Kim Stafford, illustrated by Debra Frasier.
New York: Harcourt Brace and Co., 1994. 32pp. Ages 3-6. HC ISBN: 0-15294-891-0.

Once, in the deepest ocean, there was a little fish who let a bubble go. And at the same moment a cloud high over the ocean let a raindrop go. Thus begins one father's bedtime story. Enhanced by bright and lively illustrations, the story chronicles the bubble's journey up to the sky, and the concurrent journey of the raindrop down to the ocean. When the two arrive at the same spot at the same time, the bubble becomes the whole sky, and the raindrop, the whole ocean. Father then asks daughter "We got here together, too, didn't we?"


The Whales' Song, by Dyan Sheldon, paintings by Gary Blythe.
New York: Dial Books, 1991. 26pp. Ages 4-6. HC ISBN: 0-80370-972-2.

A young child is struck by her grandmother's stories of how whales will sing to an attentive listener. In spite of her great-uncle's beliefs that whales are only good for the products they offer humans, the child offers a gift to the whales. In the middle of the night she does indeed hear them singing to her. The soft and sensitive oil paintings coupled with the text validate a child's sense of imagination and wonder-whales really can sing if you know how to listen.


When I'm Sleepy, by Jane Howard, illustrated by Lynne Cherry.
New York: E. P. Dutton, 1985. 24pp. Ages 4-6. HC ISBN: 0-52544-204-9.

A tired little girl explores what it would be like to sleep as other animals do in varied postures, ecosystems, and climates. Although birds nests and cozy caves are inviting, she concludes that she is most happy in her very own bed. Intricately detailed illustrations bring the adventurous text to life, and convey the dreamlike quality of the child's thoughts about other creatures and far away places.


When the Sun Rose, by Barbara Berger.
New York: Philomel, 1986. 32pp. Ages 3-6. HC ISBN: 0-399-21360-0, PB: 0-39922-175-1.

A companion comes to play with this story's little girl, led by a golden lion, and leaving a trail of yellow roses. All day the two girls play, making rainbows. Then the special friend has to leave. Her carriage is as gold as sunset and the stones cast long shadows as she rolls off, but we know who she is, and we know she will be back tomorrow. Bright, cheerful paintings thoughtfully portray the sunny playmates and their activities.


Where Butterflies Grow, by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Lynne Cherry.
New York: E.P. Dutton, 1989. 32pp. Ages 4-6. HC ISBN: 0-52567-284-2.

On the bottom side of a leaf there lies an egg. One day the egg hatches, and the magical life of the butterfly begins. Bright and intricate illustrations draw the reader into the evolution of the butterfly, from hatching egg to caterpillar to cocoon, and finally, a young black swallowtail butterfly.


Where the River Begins, by Thomas Locker.
New York: Dial Books, 1984. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-80370-089-X, PB: 0-14054-595-6.

Josh and Aaron set out on a journey, guided by their grandfather and their curiosities, to discover where the river that flows by their house begins. They backpack through many landscapes, following the river until they come to a pond, high in the mountains. They have discovered the source of the river. The children learn about the cycle of water that brings the rain to the pond, down through the river, and out into the ocean. Magical landscape paintings celebrate the pure wonder of this natural journey.


Whisper from the Woods, by Victoria Wirth, illustrated by A. Scott Banfill.
New York: Simon & Schuster, 1991. 30pp. Ages 7-10. HC ISBN: 0-67174-790-8.

A hauntingly anthropomorphic story about trees depicts the growth of a seedling, the death of its mother, and finally, the seedling's own going to seed. Banfill's illustrations give the trees human faces, fashioned out of bark, bringing the trees and the elements around them to life.


White Snow, Blue Feather, by Julie Downing.
New York: Bradbury Press, 1989. 32pp. Ages 4-6. HC ISBN: 0-02732-530-X.

Here is a wintry adventure complete with deep snow, animal friends, and a feather as blue as the sky. A curious young child sets out to bring the birds some bread crumbs, stopping along the way to watch a group of deer, to touch low-hanging pine cones, and to pick up a feather to take home to Mom. Sensitive, colorful illustrations depict the jubilant child throughout these encounters.


Who Is the Beast?, by Keith Baker.
New York: Harcourt Brace And Co., 1990. 32pp. Ages 3-7. HC ISBN: 0-15296-057-0, oversized PB: 0-15296-059-7.

The animals of the jungle fear the tiger, but the tiger seeks to dispel those fears. He responds to each animal in turn, finding one feature that they each have in common. The text does not name the animals, but the colorful illustrations vividly depict each one, boldly demonstrating the physical similarities alluded to by the tiger. This story builds up to the conclusion that we are all beasts, sharing the planet together.


Why the Sky Is Far Away, retold by Mary-Joan Gerson, pictures by Carla Golembe.
Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1992. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-31630-852-8.

Here is a re-telling of a Nigerian folk tale that begins in a time when people didn't have to harvest crops or cook food. When they were hungry, they simply had to reach up and eat a piece of the sky. But the people began to waste the bounties provided by the sky, and the sky grew angry. One day, a greedy woman took more sky than she could eat. The ground shook with thunder and lightning bolts struck the land. The sky declared that from then on, it would move far away from the earth, and people would have to learn to till the soil and hunt the forests for food. This timely adaptation and exquisite accompanying illustrations teach children to appreciate the gifts of nature.


Wild Wild Sunflower Child Anna, by Nancy White Carlstrom, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney.
New York: Macmillan, 1987. 32pp. Ages 4-6. HC ISBN: 0-02717-360-7, PB: 0-68971-445-9.

Anna's antics take her to many fascinating places. Everywhere she turns, she encounters summertime. She frolics in the flowers, hops across a stream, meets a frog, climbs a tree, picks fresh berries, and rolls down a grassy slope. This child is full of energy and curiosity, and is the personification of sunshine itself. Nancy Carlstrom's lyrical rhyming story and Jerry Pinkney's lively illustrations combine to create a thrilling tale of wondrous interactions with the natural world.


Wind Says Good Night, by Katy Rydell, illustrated by David Jorgensen.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1994. 32pp. Ages 3-6. HC ISBN: 0-39560-474-5.

Night has fallen, and the child in this story is all tucked in bed. But its hard to sleep with Mockingbird singing in the branches of the tree outside the window. Wind asks Mockingbird to stop singing, but Cricket is also playing, Frog is strumming, Moth is dancing, Moon is shining...night is making so many sounds. Finally, Wind blows a cloud over Moon so Moth stops dancing, Frog stops strumming, Cricket stops playing, Mockingbird stops singing, and the child falls to sleep as Wind says good night. Delightfully playful pencil drawings show the animal characters engaged in their evening activities.


Winter Harvest, by Jane Chelsea Aragon, illustrated by Leslie Baker.
Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1988. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-31604-937-9.

This is a story of kinship between a human family and a family of deer. Each winter night a young girl ventures out into the cold with a gift of corn and apples for the hungry deer. She watches them frolic about in the snow, and watches as they lie down to sleep. Then she returns to the warmth of her cottage and goes to sleep too. In the morning, she awakens to find the roles reversed. The deer have been watching her sleep through the window. Soft, wintry watercolors sensitively portray the landscape and the reciprocal relationship between the child and the deer.


The Woman Who Outshone the Sun, from a poem by Alejandro Cruz, story by Rosalma Zubizarreta, Harriet Rohmer, and David Schecter, pictures by Fernando Olivera.
San Francisco: Children's Book Press, 1991. 32pp. Ages 7-12. HC ISBN: 0-89239-101-4.

Lucia Zenteno was knowledgeable about the ways of nature-and the natural world loved her for that. The river in the village would rise to greet her and the animals would swim about in her hair. Some of the villagers grew suspicious of her activities, and treated her unkindly. Then, one day, she departed. When she left, the river followed her, and the fish, and the otters. Then the trees began to die, and the people grew thirsty. They begged her for forgiveness and she returned, along with the river, the animals, and a lesson of love and understanding. Vibrant, imaginative paintings accompany the story, which is told in both English and Spanish.


Woodpile, by Peter Parnall.
New York: Macmillan, 1990. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-02770-155-7.

Peter Parnall gives us an up-close look at the woodpile, focusing on the different types of wood that are there and the different communities of animals that live in and around the pile. He launches into discussions about the different uses for wood that these various creatures employ. Parnall's unique illustrations and insightful prose encourage taking a close look at the wealth of activity going on in a micro-community such as the woodpile.


Your Own Best Secret Place, by Byrd Baylor, illustrated by Peter Parnall.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1979. 32pp. Ages 4-8. HC ISBN: 0-68416-111-7.

For a child, finding a secret place initiates a dialogue with the environment. This story is of a child who spends time in a hollow at the base of a cottonwood tree. Lyrical text moves the story through other children's secret places, while enchanting illustrations bring the landscapes to life. This book encourages children to find their own special place in nature and illustrates the magic of a close relationship with a particular place.