Look and Listen, written by Dianne White and illustrated by Amy Schimler-Safford. Holiday House, Penguin Random House. 2022. $24.99 ages 3 and up

 

"A sea of sighing grasses sweep

across the meadow, wide and deep. 

Whose back foot stamps, loud and funny?
A GRAY and long-eared hopping ... 

BUNNY."

It's the last Sunday before school begins again. When I was teaching, I loved taking my kids outside for a listening walk at the beginning of the school year. Once we were back to the classroom, we talked about all the things we had heard and seen while exploring the neighborhood. 

This lovely guessing game would be a terrific one to share, before or after said walk. It honors the joy kids get from being outside and the curiosity they have for the natural world. The child in the book whose stroll it illustrates begins on the path to a lovely fall garden where flowers bloom in abundance. Three rhyming questions are asked on one page and answered at the turn. 

He also visits the meadow, moving on to provide clues and answers to three creatures that inhabit that environment. Finally, he makes his way along a 'bubbling brook'. The pattern holds and the child is able to take note of three creatures sure to be seen near, or in, a tiny creek. Along the way he has listened, stopped and observed variety in sights and sounds, and enjoyed them very much. 

Delicate and colorful collage artwork accompanies the rhyming text, providing a tranquil setting for the child's venture into nature. Observant listeners will find visual clues for each answer provided on following pages. Fun to read, as it also presents a way for budding writers and artists to share their own new learning.