Dear Treefrog, written by Joyce Sidman and illustrated by Diana Sudyka. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Raincoast. 2021. $23.99 ages 4 and up

"In Gym Today 
during  
child's pose
I became a treefrog
curled around 
the still green center
of my heart

Others 
found their 
centers too

So many treefrogs
there on the gym floor

Sometimes young treefrogs of the 
same age will gather near one another. 
On a sunny day, you might see several
sharing the same leafy plant."

Moving to a new home can be very difficult. When you are young and shy, it can be even more so. Luckily this little one finds solace in nature, and in the treefrog she finds on a big green leaf in her garden. She is immediately attracted to the fact that it does not move when she peeks through the leaves. It remains still despite all the movement and noise that surrounds it. It helps the watcher sit quiet and remain calm. She isn't so lonely when she knows the frog is there. 

They spend a good deal of time together, experiencing many happenings: morning dew, buzzing bees, imagining, remembering, rambunctious visitors, a noisy storm, resting, hiding, meeting a new friend, climbing, hibernating, and reuniting. 

Ms. Sidman's writing is glorious, as always. This series of telling poems mix nature, verse, and quality information for interested young learners. Told from the little one's viewpoint, it is a very personal look at the joy that comes from being in nature and learning, as they spend time in each other's presence. The poems are placed at the edge of the verso, and the quick reports on the treefrogs are placed at the bottom corner of the recto (in a different, smaller font). 

Each double-page spread is filled with the lush greens of the garden. Created using gouache, they invite readers to relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings while becoming familiar with the many attributes of a treefrog. Careful observers will see the names of flowers, insects and birds hidden on some spreads. 

Ms. Sidman answers four pertnent questions, with useful answers for caring for treefrogs and their survival, in back matter. 

"No Frogs 
today 
in the yard
at the park  
     or by the pond

Good thing 
I took pictures 
of you 
with my eyes
to 
keep
inside me
when I am 
        trying to 
              be brave