Poetry Friday

Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted today by Laurasalas: Writing the World for Kids.

My selection is "Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors" poems by Joyce Sidman and illustrations by Beckie Prange.

Sidman and Prange, who collaborated on the Caldecott Honor Book "Song of the Waterboatman and Other Pond Poems" have produced another marvelous blending of a variety of poetic forms with science.  Ubiquitous celebrates some of nature's most intriguing and frequently overlooked survivors.  Bacteria, mollusks, lichen and sharks are just a few of the lifeforms celebrated for their longevity.  Each poem is paired with a thoughtful scientific discussion.  The subjects of Sidman's verses are arranged in the order in which they appeared in the evolutionary timeline which is an added bonus to give readers a deeper understanding and appreciation of the amazing world we share. 

Prange's artwork skillfully ties verse and science together with beautiful water-colored block prints.  A timeline on the endpapers provides a visual representation of geologic time and the appearance of various lifeforms.  The line is 46 meters long with each centimeter equaling 1 million years.

A Glossary and Author's Note complete the book.