Thank You, Sun

Heartfelt gratitude infuses Florian’s simple rhymes and naive-style artwork in this accessible collection of nature-based appreciations. For each composition, a sincere “thank you” acts as both title and beginning line as text and art jointly anchor in observation. In between shape poems devoted to the sun and moon, verse leans on conservation-aware couplets as it expresses respect for myriad components of the natural world. To the ocean, the speaker waxes,“You calm the climate, absorbing heat,/ and feed us fish for us to eat.” Facing the varied-length works, scribbly illustrations employ colored pencil, gouache, and rubber stamps to capture scenes of figures enjoying nature in this ode to songbirds and bees, snowflakes and wind, mountains and rivers. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)