Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature

This book is an absolute masterpiece! It is mesmerizing and charming and delightful in both its gorgeous illustrations and colorfully descriptive, non-rhyming poems. I originally wanted the book to have as inspiration and ideas for my watercolor projects, and I didn’t care about the poems. But I do care—I care a lot. Oh my goodness, this is a gift for my soul. Given the constant threats and fear and horrors happening in the world today, this book is an invitation to shut off the social media electronics and shut out the worries, and feed my spirit some beauty and love of nature through beautiful illustrations and reading the written word in a physical book. A very large book, by the way, with so much detail to explore on every page. Knowing my grandchildren will love this book too, is icing on the cake!

"Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature" by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Mark Hearld (Candlewick 2012) is a stunning work. The 110 page picture book progresses through the seasons, starting with spring. The poems are simple and straightforward for the most part. Which makes the author's occasional metaphors and similes light up her poems. The spectacular art, which we're told is mixed media, draws you into the author's observations of each poem. By the look, I'd say the artwork is a collage of watercolor, gouache, and ink on paper. In "Bulbs" Davies writes, "something tells the bulb it's time to grow./Inside its brown coat and layers like an onion,/ a tiny pulse beats..." The author has watched nature and passes her acute observations to us through a child-like eye, making us experience nature afresh. In "Nesting" artist Hearld uses actual strands of straw in the bird's beak and in the nest she's building. It makes you feel like you're helping to construct the nest. In "Flowers," Davies writes, "Without a sound the flowers call out./ They shout to insects with their colors--" What we normally see, the author has made us hear. Let's listen to our gardens. In "Tide Pooling," Hearld uses mono-printed fish or crayfish in the larger spread. That is, he's made a woodcut or linoleum cut or maybe a potato cut of one fish, and printed it in various colors across his larger composition. The artwork makes you want to try some of his child-friendly techniques. In "Starlings," she says of the flying starlings, "hundreds, thousands maybe...They look like smoke, or a curtain rippling in the breeze...as their flying is a dance that they all know by heart." Nice image, but the clincher is the heartfelt dance. Perhaps my favorite of the poems is "Snow Song" in which Davies speaks of falling snow. "Listen, and you can hear the quiet,/ as if every sound had been wrapped up and put away." And "snow kept a diary" of animal and bird footprints. Read this book and look outside your window. Go outside and see nature. Observe her acutely. This is a great book for studying and writing poetry in the classroom. The free verse poems invite you to make your own observations. Patricia Hruby Powell is a nationally touring speaker, dancer, storyteller, occasional librarian, and children's book author. talesforallages.com/reviews

Both the prose AND the illustrations are beautiful. If you are someone who can't appreciate a verse unless it rhymes, this book isn't for you. I loved the prose as much as the illustrations. I found the book by searching for the illustrator. MH is so creative I just had to buy this book. What a surprise to find that the author, ND, was able to match MH's talent with her subtle, charming narrative. Thank you to both of you for this absolutely WONDERFUL book. Now I am making a list of people I can give this to...children AND adults.

I saw a very large black snake when I was biking yesterday. It was early evening and he was stretched across the road warming himself in the waning light. Instead of recoiling in horror, (my usual M.O.), I felt a sort of friendliness toward a fellow traveler. Perhaps because I'd seen him before in the very same spot. Or perhaps, having read this book with its simple poems and delightful illustrations, I feel more grateful and tender toward the world outside my window. Author Nicola Davies says of writing "Outside Your Window": "I cast off my grown-up self and found the me I was at five or six." Flipping through the pages reminded of a time when the simplest things could inspire awe; an early morning spider's web in all its glittering geometry, the flick of a squirrel's tail, the tip of a seedling peeking up through the soil in a paper cup, the smudgy gray of a pigeon feather, a tumble of broken seashells scattered by a wave. Mark Hearld uses a melange of cutouts, pastel, paint, pen and ink, woodblock print and colored pencil to create his juicy, layered collages. Detailed borders and backgrounds add even more dimension. I was so uplifted and inspired by his images, I could hardly wait to paint, draw and try my hand at carving a small woodblock. It is Hearld's art, most of all, that gives proof of the rich gifts nature offers; the treasure trove of sights, sounds and seasons that wait "Outside Your Window". Davies' simple poems provide the perfect grace note.

I was a little hesitate to purchase this, but I’m so glad I did. The book is split into each of the four seasons, and includes short poems/stories on each page. The pictures are beautiful and my kids thoroughly enjoy it. We include this in our daily morning basket and read a new page every few days during the corresponding season. A beautiful book to have in your child’s library.

This is a good book - all about nature and the seasons. The text is written in prose, but it doesn't rhyme. The pictures are very interesting - with many pages made with collages. The book also has some activities (like saving seeds), and recipes (like a berry crumble). The kids like this book, but for some reason, they don't love it. I think the pictures are beautiful. I recommend this book. Please mark if you find my review helpful. Thank you so much!

This book is AMAZING! I can't say how much I love it! First off, it's HUGE at 10x10 ish and looks impressive. It isn't difficult to hold, however even when snuggling my 3 little imps. The poems are short and sweet and the illustrations are GORGEOUS-right out of a daydream! I love the seasonal themes, There is even a recipe for blackberry pie in the fall section along with the poem "Berry Picking". "Let's go berry picking! Up the path, over the fence... At first your basket seems to big, and then not big enough, for berry picking. Back home, we make a great, big pie to share our berry picking" The mixed media illustration is super fun, with painting, block prints, and a modge podge of art forms.

I stumbled upon this book quite by accident and I am so thrilled that I did! The illustrations are gorgeous and not cartoon-like as some children's books can be. I appreciate that it is arranged by seasons and helps a child learn how he can interact with the natural world all through the year. Informative for little ones and a feast for the eyes. Will be picking up more copies to share with friends!

Bought it for a three-year-old girl. I had a peek first and thought it is well written and well illustrated. It is a little more expensive than most would like to pay for children's book but it could last for a few years as I thought she would enjoy reading it by herself later.

We love all the Nicola Davies books in this series - First Book of Animals and First Book of the Sea, and then this one too. All gorgeous!

Nickel. C'est ce que j'attendais.

Love love love the book. Both young and adult will love this. Good book for a gift too. Pictures are very nice and colorful.

Beautiful, lovely.