Poetry + Math + Science = A new way of looking at spring.
Laura Purdie Salas knows that poetry and science are both about
exploring the world. Part poet and part scientist, Laura is the
award-winning author of more than one hundred books, including If
You Were the Moon, A Rock Can Be, and Water Can Be. She experiences
spring, summer, fall, and winter in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Micha Archer's radiant collage illustrations for this book grew out
of a New England spring. Micha is the author and illustrator of
Daniel Finds a Poem, as well as the illustrator of Around the World
in a Bathtub, Lola's Fandango, and The Wise Fool. She lives in
western Massachusetts. www.michaarcher.com
"Equation poems" explore the science and poetry behind the
processes of nature. "I am in awe of the scientific processes that
make sunsets, storms, and, of course, spring," states Salas. Her
volume begins with late-winter scenes in New England as "spring
tiptoes in." Each page is a pleasing mix of colorful tissue-paper
collage art, equation poems, and a bit of lively exposition
discussing the science behind the equations. "Riverbank + otters =
playground" features otters at play and text stating that "In
spring, otters slip and slide in the dirty, slushy snow. No
mittens. No hats. Just messy, muddy, mucky fun." A pair of
brown-skinned siblings initially decked out in colorful winter garb
are on hand in some scenes, their clothes changing with the
seasons. The children's sense of fun and wonder enhances each scene
they are in. One particularly beautiful page offers "1 dandelion x
1 breath = 100 parachutes." It appears opposite the "dusk + skunks
= parade" equation, but happily, skunks are nocturnal, as the text
informs readers. Not every equation adds up, though. Is "stampede"
the best word in "stream + snowmelt = stampede!"? All in all,
though, beautifully original art complements the fun of the playful
poetry. Poetry + art = beauty.
—Kirkus Reviews
From Salas’ point of view, “science + poetry = surprise!”
Celebrating the natural world as winter turns to spring, this
unusual volume offers a poetic equation on each page, accompanied
by a vivid illustration and several short sentences of related
text. A snowy scene depicting a downy woodpecker on a maple tree
illustrates the statement “bark + beak = drum,” while a short
paragraph comments that this bird is hammering at the tree to find
bugs, though it might use faster drumming in the spring to assert
its territory or attract a mate. Sometimes the writing takes a more
lyrical tone, as in the “frogs + night = symphony” page, where the
text likens a chorus of different frog species to an orchestra and
ends with “Bullfrogs honk low and loud on their watery trombones.”
Created with a variety of traditional media and digitally arranged,
Archer’s detailed, vibrant collages reflect a sense of wonder,
while clarifying the literal meaning of each equation and its
commentary. A handsome, original book for reading aloud each
spring.
—Booklist
Salas posits that fully experiencing the seasons means looking
through the lenses of both scientific study and art: “science +
poetry = surprise!/ Science is why and how a/ flower grows. Poetry
is/ looking at that flower and/ seeing a firework. Surprise!” In
the early spring, “warmth + light = alarm clock.” Salas explains
that “hibernating animals wake up when spring days/ grow warmer and
stronger.” Elsewhere, “bark + beak = drum.” The beak belongs to a
woodpecker tapping against a tree “to claim its territory/ or
attract a mate.” Archer’s torn paper collage and oil art offers
sharp contrast in visual textures and colors. A bright, feathery
blue and green river flows past a yellow riverbank; above lies the
white of the melting snow. Elsewhere, child characters play and
explore outdoors, one boy climbing a tree to the sound of frog
songs (“frogs + night = symphony”). Nature, the book suggests,
offers abundant surprises to those who take the time to notice.
—Publishers Weekly
This whimsical celebration of springtime features a playful
equation poem on every page. Take the titular "snowman - cold =
puddle." It's a subtraction sentence—minus the usual numbers—and a
brainteaser, too. To help flesh out the "math," a brief paragraph
explains that "when spring temperatures rise above freezing, snow
melts into water. Sad news for snowmen!" On each new double-page
spread, equations are again paired with a few sentences that are
always informative and often lyrical: "Lilac blooms are spring's
perfume"; "Raindrops bend sunlight." For the equation "hive + bees
- bees + bees = airport," Salas describes the behavior of scout
honeybees: "Bees fly out. In. Out. In. Out. In. You could get dizzy
watching busy bees!" It's lively language that begs to be read
aloud. Tracing the season's changes from early to mid to late
spring, Archer's collage illustrations are rich with texture and
detail. In a rain-streaked scene, a girl's hair beads peek out from
under her yellow rain hat, offering a glimpse of a rainbow.
To—ahem—sum things up, this picture-book blend of math, science,
and poetry welcomes—and explains—the hallmarks of spring with
effortless ebullience. Author and illustrator notes, a description
of different ways to define the start of spring, and further
reading suggestions are appended. Pair this with Betsy Franco's
Mathematickles!
—The Horn Book
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