Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, selected by Fiona Waters, 334 pp, RL: 2

Sing a Song of Seasons: 

A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year

Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon

Review Copy from Nosy Crow, 

an imprint of Candlewick Press

A bountiful collection of poetry, preferably in one well illustrated book, is a MUST for every child's bookshelf. I am happy to tell you that Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year is exactly that book! In her excellent introduction, Kate Wilson, managing director for Nosy Crow, shares the impact the gift of a fat book of poems (without illustrations) on her seventh birthday made on her, writing,

I asked Fiona Waters to choose the poems and Frann Preston-Gannon to create the illustrations so that each page became an invitation to draw the reader in.

As you can see, the illustrations definitely draw you in and make you want to keep on reading. The cohesiveness of Preston-Gannon's illustrations lend an almost narrative feel to the book, and her animals and insects are have a friendly air about them and even the occasional sly smile.

Besides being filled with well chosen poems and marvelous illustrations, Sing a Song of Seasons is wonderfully designed. Divided into twelve chapters, each month begins with a table of contents of sorts that notes the poem and poet for each day. An index of poets, poems and first lines gives readers additional ways to explore this book.

Wilson ends her introduction with words so perfect, I have to quote them and end my review here,

You can read the poems on you won or share them. You can have them read to you or you can read them to someone else (poems com alive when they are read out loud). You can read the book from beginning to end quickly, or can read a poem every evening before you go to bed. You can dip into it, looking at only the poem chosen for your birthday, for example, and then close the book to think about that one poem. You can just look at the pictures. You can mark your favorite poems. You can learn some of the poems by heart, just for you to remember, or recite them out loud for a special person or a large crowd. You can keep it forever.

If you enjoy the book even half as much as we have enjoyed making it, then we will have done what we set out to do.

Kate Wilson, Fiona Waters and Frann Presont-Gannon, you HAVE done what you set out to do! I enjoyed and continue to enjoy Sing a Song of Seasons so much that, despite the fact that I know I should share it with children, I want to keep it forever and return to it often. I guess I'll just have to buy a copy for my students!