Behold Our Magical Garden: Poems Fresh from a School Garden
by Allan Wolf (Goodreads Author), Daniel Duncan (Illustrations)

5 out of 5 stars

This collection of children’s poems is all about school gardens that are shared with a group of student volunteers. Each poem is written in a different style. Some are meant to be chanted or rapped like music. Some are full of puns. Some of the poems describe real events, like the time all the school garden tools were stolen from the shed, but the entire community donated new tools for the students!

Chirp!
by Mary Murphy

5 out of 5 stars

The birds each have a song to sing, and they bring in the new day with their chirping and cheeping. But one bluebird asks for some quiet, so they can have their own turn to sing their own individual song. Each voice is important in the bird music they create to welcome the day!

This is such a cute book full of marvelous bird sounds warbling, chirping, whistling, and honking. I really like the positive messages of each bird having their own song, but they sing together and take time to listen to one another as well.

At the Pond
by David Elliott ( Author), Amy Schimler-Safford (Illustrations)

4 out of 5 stars

There is a flurry of activity at the pond. In the morning, the red-winged blackbird sings to waken the inhabitants of the pond. Under the water, fish, frogs, turtles, and pollywogs dart about. Ducks and geese, beavers and muskrats swim around the pond as well. Even the insects have important business as dragonflies, water striders, and fireflies flit about. There is always something interesting to see at the pond!

I love the writing style! I found it very interesting that this book uses really big words for a children’s picture book. I wish it had a glossary at the back, so that children could look up the words and expand their vocabulary, but I guess a dictionary will do as well. I really love books that use big words for kids, and they can learn something new!