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Montreal Gazette

Books for Kids: Two titles that help children connect with nature

Head Full of Clouds By Joanne Schwartz Illustrated by Afsaneh Sanei Tundra Books Ages 4 to 7 After a sputtering start to spring — one interrupted by occasional snowstorms and bouts of heavy rain in parts of the country — at this writing it seems like spring has finally sprung and the season's rebirth has begun, making it a good time to share Joanne Schwartz's new book with the youngsters in your life. The award-winning author of Town Is by the Sea, a native of Cape Breton who now lives in Toronto, tells the story of a young girl who wakes up in the morning with 'a little leftover piece of a dream / floating around' but can't put into words the foggy feeling of having one's head in the clouds. Outside, she sees the puddles left by last night's rain and becomes aware of nearby birds, budding trees and flowering weeds. In the park, she climbs a tree and watches life unfold below her, acutely aware of sounds and smells to which she was oblivious before. Suddenly, she recalls a piece of her oceanside dream and as the memory grows more vivid, she becomes aware of someone waving at her in the park. It's her friend, and as the two girls hug, 'the day feels as solid as the trunk of a tree, / as wide as the sunny sky, / as beautiful as an ocean full of fish.' Rock By Laurel Croza Illustrated by Matt James Groundwood Books Ages 3 to 6 The new book by Laurel Croza and Matt James, the Toronto-based team that gave us the award-winning picture book I Know Here (and its sequel From There to Here), also enlists elements of nature. But the central character in Rock experiences none of the fogginess that affects the little girl in Head Full of Clouds. On the contrary: the rock in Rock is 100 per cent certain of itself and what it believes to be true, no matter how harshly it's challenged by a seagull who has swept down to the beach and tried to pick it up, expecting a tasty treat. 'What do you think you are?' the frustrated seagull snarls. 'I am a rock,' the rock responds calmly. The seagull disagrees. 'No,' he says. 'You are too small. / I see you as a pebble.' What's more, he adds vindictively, 'When you are tossed into the water, / you will sink. / And, / once you hit bottom, / there is no guarantee / you will find your way back. / Here — / to this beach.' The seagull, joined by squawking compatriots, builds on a premise that one day the rock will erode and disappear forever. The rock's confidence, however, never wavers. And when a little girl spots the seagulls and chases them away, the rock finds a friend who recognizes its worth — and puts it to good use.