Bulion, Leslie  Leaf Litter Critters
Gr. 4–6     56 pp.     Peachtree

Illustrated by Robert Meganck. Nineteen poems (in various forms) accompanied by bright digital illustrations provide information both whimsical and scientific about inhabitants of the brown food web — the layer of leaves and soil where organic matter breaks down and plants grow. Each poem is accompanied by a smaller-print scientific explanation. Suggested experiments, critter size comparisons, and notes on poetic forms round out this information-packed poetry volume. Reading list, websites. Glos.
Subjects: Poetry; Plants; Leaves; Animals—Forest animals; Forests and forestry; Environment—Ecology; Soil; Animals—Insects; Earth science; Animals—Invertebrates

Fogliano, Julie  When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for All Seasons
Gr. 4–6     56 pp.     Roaring Brook/Porter

Illustrated by Julie Morstad. This collection of nearly fifty poems begins and ends on "march 20" with a blue bird on a flowering tree branch (and with the same poem). In between are poems for days throughout the year. Morstad's gouache and pencil-crayon pictures and Fogliano's poetry are delicately precise, gracefully and economically expressed, and filled with the wonder of genuine childhood experience.
Subjects: Poetry; Seasons

Herrera, Juan Felipe  Jabberwalking
Middle school, high school    138 pp.     Candlewick

In a loose and jazzy style (and with a nod to Lewis Carroll), former U.S. Poet Laureate Herrera offers instructions for "Jabberwalking," or writing poetry while in motion. The volume weaves elements of the poet's day-to-day life with writing advice. His punctuation, spacing on the page, and freehand drawings all send the message of encouraging young writers to let their words flow unstopped by convention or constraint.
Subjects: Poetry; Writing; Poets

Lewis, J. Patrick  Phrases of the Moon: Lunar Poems
Gr. K–3    32 pp.     Creative/Editions

Illustrated by Jori van der Linde. More celebratory than scientific, this compilation of poems and retold myths (most are also in verse) about the moon is complemented by richly detailed ink-pen and Photoshop illustrations; van der Linde captures the luminescence of the moon in all its phases, the stars, and even the foam from ocean waves. The book's tall, slim trim size lends itself well to the poetry within. A page of moon facts is appended.
Subjects: Poetry; Astronomy—Moon; Mythology

Waters, Fiona, Selector  Sing a Song of Seasons: A Nature Poem for Each Day of the Year
Gr. K–3     333 pp.     Candlewick/Nosy Crow

Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon. This hefty, vividly illustrated anthology includes a seasonal poem for each day of the year from a variety of poets. The selections range from humorous to poignant, some rhyming and some in free verse, often several to a spread. The mixed-media art depicts brilliant flowers, expansive skies, and leafy meadows by turn. A keepsake volume, ideal for one-on-one daily sharing. Several helpful indices are included.
Subjects: Poetry Collections; Seasons; Nature

From the March 2019 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.