Forest Has a Song by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

 

A girl visits the forest throughout the seasons. This is the story of what she found there in poems. 

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this collection when it was first published and meant to review it then, but I guess it escaped me. I love the idea behind this collection because my siblings and I were the girl in the collection. We were in the woods every chance we had. We even discovered lady's slippers. I think the girl's voice and the voices of the forest's inhabitants in the poems are authentic and true. I think this collection will appeal to anyone, children and adults alike, who enjoys the natural world. My favorite poems are "Proposal," "Lady's Slipper," "Moss," "Woodpecker," and "Maples in October." Robbin Gourley's illustrations are soft colored yet vibrant. I like the different layouts used. It adds interest. 

In April 219 when I visited first and second grade classrooms, I highlighted a few of my favorite poets for children. Amy Ludwig VanDerwater was one. I shared the following from her collections: 

• Read! Read! Read! ("Cereal Box," "Word Collection," and "Forever")
• Forest Has a Song ("April Waking," "Lady’s Slipper," and "Waiting for Deer")
• With My Hands: Poems about Making Things ("Tie-Dye Shirt," "Fort," and "Origami")

Here's an interesting fact: Every class of kids I visited asked me to read "Word Collection" at least one more time.

I can see myself sharing Forest Has a Song with older children and highlighting just a poem or two during a forest themed storytime.

Themes: Forest

(Illustrated by Robbin Gourley. Clarion, 2013.)