The Song of the Waterboatman and other Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman. Houghton Mifflin, 2005.

Stunning illustrations. And lovely poems. I’m not sure they capture essence as well as Zolotow. I’m perhaps looking for an Annie Dillard of children’s poetry, but maybe Sidman is more accessible to a child than Zolotow (who is more Dillardy).

• --The Caddis Fly is fascinating and I love the use of the word whorled. What a cool word!
• The NF sidebars are clear and concise, but I found myself wishing they were a little more lyrical.
• Colors used in the illustration for Season’s Campaign are delicious. I wanted to roll in them, to wake up there. That poem reminds me of an eternal favorite and classic, Hailstones and Halibut Bones.
• Water Bear is fascinating too. This is why macro-evolution takes far more faith than I can muster.