Moving Words About a Flower, written by K.C. Hayes and illustrated by Barbara Chotiner. Charlesbridge, Penguin Random House. 2022. $19.99 ages 4 and up

 

"As the days passed, 
the yellow dandelion 
grew bigger and bigger, 
and 
within a 
few weeks, 
it had become 
a feathery 
white ball of 
seeds."

I cannot do justice to the placement of words on this double-page spread. The design is so wonderful throughout, and cannot be captured in a blog post. I hope that entices you to find this clever book at a nearby bookstore or library. 

It seems a perfect time to share it - on this first day of National Poetry Month. The fact that it is about a dandelion, the floral symbol of Ukraine makes it even more exceptional. We know the resiliency of the dandelion, and we are learning daily about that same tenacity of the Ukrainian people. 

The joy to be found in words that roll, hurry, bend, and sail, will engage young readers as they learn about the life cycle of a dandelion. Little ones spot the bold yellow of these flowers as soon as they emerge from the ground. They are quick to pick and offer them to adults in their lives. The beauty of the ball of seeds leads to breathy launches, sending each seed further out into the world where they find a place to land and begin their cycle all over again. 

These shape poems (also called concrete poems) always attract attention. They dance across the pages in harmony with the settings - from a sidewalk crack where it opens its petals to the grassy fields of a farmyard where it makes a new home. With the arrival of spring, each tiny seed sends down roots that will grow to become a harbinger of spring and summer. Of the three seeds followed to matuirity, only one survives to grow, thrive, and send new seeds into the world. 

Back matter includes further information and a list of research sources. The illustrations 'are done in mixed traditional media and digital collage. Impressive!