Monday, April 13, 2009

Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow



Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow
Joyce Sidman

illustrated by Beth Krommes

Genre: Nonfiction/Poetry/Illustrator Study


My Rating: 5 of 5

In her book, Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow, Sidman combines poetry, riddles and prose to describe the sounds and sights of a meadow. Each poem in a creative riddle describing something commonly found in the meadow, and asks the reader to identify the poem's subject. Sidman describes everything from sunlight and dew to dragonflies and goldfinches. Sidman incorporates prose to explain the ecology and interaction of all the plants and creatures living in the meadow. Beth Krommes, the illustrator, uses rich, detailed, and vibrantly colored illustrations done in scratchboard and they are a perfect accompaniment to the text.

This book is fun to read and the illustrations are absolutely breathtaking. I loved reading each poem, figuring out what secret of the meadow Sidman was writing about. This book is obviously a great accompaniment to a science lesson about ecology and habitats. Students will love opening these pages over and over again, poring over the sumptuous illustrations and beautifully crafted poems. Great for students in grades 2nd through 5th.

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