Joyce Sidman

Scratchboard illustrations accompany an invocation, a poem that invites something to happen. Here a girl wants the world to slow down just a bit so her pilot mother doesn’t have to leave. What happens before morning? A huge snowfall slows everything down. Dark lines and rich shapes of a winter cityscape unfold along with the poem, leaving room for the reader to imagine. 

Dramatic scratchboard illustrations add drama to the poetic riddles that encourage readers to turn the page and find out more. This is a unique and lively introduction to the animals, insects, and plants that comprise a meadow.

Science and poetry combine for an exhilarating look at the night, some of its animals, and other goings-on. Short but sophisticated poems are illustrated with bold line and muted color and accompanied by brief factual information. A glossary of animal terms concludes the collection.

Each season of the year has its own special color and feeling. Summer, fall, winter, and spring are presented in rich, lyrical language accompanied by stylized illustrations that evoke something special about each.

Strong lines and evocative language call on readers to observe the natural world around them in this handsome look at the spiral shape in nature.

Each of four sections (chants, spells, laments, praise songs) celebrate the power of words that are intended to bring comfort, humor, hope and more. Sophisticated readers will appreciate the texture of those words and the stylized illustrations which appear in a handsome package.

How animals survive — even thrive — in winter is presented in a variety of poetic forms, each accompanied by factual information. Textured prints dramatically bring the frozen setting and its inhabitants to life as they await spring.