Such delicious nostalgia!
I don’t read a lot of poetry as an adult, but I used to as a kid–not of the high literary variety so much as this simpler, lyrical style. So that alone was a throwback for me. Also, the subject matter of growing up in the desert primarily of Tucson, AZ, beautifully illustrated by the author in watercolors, is exactly reminiscent of my own experiences. Her poems capture the whimsy of imagination, the endless possibilities, the expanse of time, and the magic of the glittering desert in all its seasons (especially summertime, when kids have the most time to play and explore). I’m also very impressed with how much she manages to convey in very few, simple words, well within an elementary schooler’s vocabulary. The words are especially impactful when paired with the illustrations.
It seems that today, kids are so often glued to their iPads and various other devices… I wonder how many have the same delicious experiences in the great outdoors that I had when I was that age. Perhaps books like this one might inspire a few to recapture that wonder.
My rating: *****
Language: none
Sexual content: none
Violence: none
Political content: none
