When Green Becomes Tomatoes: Poems for all Seasons by Julie Fogliano; illustrated by Julie Morstad (New York, Roaring Brook Press) $22
Fogliano’s poems are arranged as a yearly progression beginning with the spring solstice.
Titled by date, they are simply phrased and perceptive comments on nature in language accessible to even very young children. For example, “just like a tiny blue hello / a crocus blooming in the snow” succinctly captures the joy of spring.
There are many more charming observations, all of which express the wonder of a young child’s experience of the world. My favourite line in the book is from the poem “September 10,” which explains that a star is “a speck of light too far for bright / and too small to make a morning.” The truth of Fogliano’s poetry resonates and the reader is left thinking “Yes, THAT is exactly how it is!”
Delicate gouache and pencil crayon art enhances the poetic experience. Morstad is an award-winning Vancouver illustrator who has previously illustrated numerous picture books.
Fran Ashdown was the children’s librarian at the Capilano branch of the North Vancouver District Public Library. She spent one childhood summer writing poems in the style of Ogden Nash. For more information, check your local libraries.
