This wondrous poetry book is quite creative and original. While illuminating the natural world, the book also provides a crafty blend of poetry riddles and scientific wisdom. Each set of poems describes a creature or a biological aspect of a meadow setting and asks a question, then each poetry set is followed on the next pages by scientific descriptions or explanations. The meadow scenes of the poetry are enchanting; the wording of the poems and the trailing statements of scientific wisdom are precise and enlightening. This book would be incredibly powerful in any class lessons involving art and poetry, especially in combination with scientific topics. Butterfly Eyes relates the interdependence and interconnection of the natural world, while demonstrating scientific principles such as succession, along with the continual process and presence of change in the natural world.

Joyce Sidman and Beth Krommes are my favorite author and illustrator partnership that I've yet encountered during this term, and maybe even in life. The book showcases Sidman's powerful writing and Krommes signature scratchboard illustrations. The book contains an end glossary with scientific terms and definitions.

2006 ASPCA Henry Bergh Children's Book Award. Scratchboard illustrations by Beth Krommes. Clever, mostly free verse poetry written as riddles. Clues in the poems and in the illustrations lead the reader to guess the subject of the poem. The following pages reveal the topic, with informational text to clarify and deepen understanding. Excellent use in science work on ecosystems, interdependence, plants and animals. Grades 1 and up.

A collection of poems about the meadow and the plants and animals that live there.

Another winner from Sidman, five stars each for the poetry, the science *and* the art. In other words, 15 star book.

This one is different than the others I've read so far. It's interactive. There are two poems on a two page spread that do not identify the subjects, with pictures that show a camouflaged portion of those two animals or plants. Then the next spread is the answers, with some important & interesting information about the subjects, and illustrations that show them more clearly. In this book, that science information is in the same font as the poems and is written in language of about the same difficulty, so that the same reader could enjoy both without an adult helping. (Still, the poems are nifty enough that even pre-readers would enjoy listening to them.)

Personally, the coolest thing I got out of this was learning the verse form pantoum." I think the number of stanzas can vary, but the idea is that many of the lines repeat methodically. Here's the pattern for the one Sidman wrote:

1
a
2
b

a
c
b
d

c
e
d
f

e
g
f
h

g
2
h
1" ( )

Within this story are poetry riddles and science wisdom. Would be great for when teaching/talking about poetry!