Nikki McClure

Is this the year for black, white, and yellow picture books? I love the text, with its rhythms, opposites, occasional puns, and satisfying circular journey. I could see this as a Geisel honor with its simple, repetitive text, if "marmalade" isn't too difficult. The woodblock prints are bold and dynamic with small details to look for throughout. I would gladly frame and hang a print of "I'll look out from branches." on my wall. I did find the author's note about owls to be bizarre; it makes show more too much of one detail and is not sufficiently separate from the main text. That gate page, though, is one even a librarian can love. show less

Cut-paper wizard Nikki McClure is a brilliant steward for the words of a pioneering environmentalist in this wondrous ode to clouds--and the scientific "language of the sky."

Rachel Carson once wrote, "It is not half so important to know as to feel." What do we know about clouds? There are three basic types: stratus, cumulus, and cirrus. Some are fleecy and fair-weathered while others portend storms. But clouds are more than pretty or ominous backdrops. They're the vehicle of water between show more sea and land, land and sea, in a cycle without end or beginning. They are the writing of the wind on the sky, a language all their own. An illustrator note explains the origins of Rachel Carson's shimmering essay--previously unpublished in its entirety--and the process of adapting it to picture book format, as well as how the author of Silent Spring forever changed the way we think about science and progress. Bringing the soft edges of clouds and the natural world to vivid life with a new, more fluid approach to her signature cut-paper technique, Nikki McClure inspires true emotional engagement with the world we all share. An antidote to "get your head out of the clouds," this art-meets-science tribute to curiosity and wonder is a gift for daydreamers and nature lovers of all ages. show less

What a wonderful concept, counting sea creatures and natural life from the rainy Pacific coast. A child will not only learn about counting, but will get an idea of life in a unique geographic area. The caption accompanying the numbers is sure to become an entertaining tongue-twisting game of salmon swimming home, kelp crabs lunching in a forest, and clams for an octopus's feast. The sense of quantity is demonstrated through escalating numbers soaring to "one million raindrops returning to show more the Salish Sea".

The cover, showing two orcas swimming in a calm sea, is striking but some of the illustrations inside are indistinct, although it should be remembered that in real life a close look at a sea creature in a tide pool can be indistinct too.

Named for the first inhabitants of the region, the Coast Salish people, the Salish Sea is an inland sea that encompasses Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands and the waters off of Vancouver, BC. The area spans from Olympia, Washington in the south to the Campbell River, British Columbia in the north, and includes the large cities of Seattle and Vancouver. It has 419 islands. - The SeaDoc Society

Addendum: I shared this book with two young friends aged 4 and 6. Although both children can count and own a lot of books, this was a huge hit and both declared it to be their favourite book ever! As a result I'm increasing the rating from 4.5 to 5 stars. show less

This lovely counting book focuses on the marine life in and around the Pacific Northwest. The artwork has a woodcut look that has a lovely weight and flow to it. There are strong black forms with pale salmon pink and slat blue tints. Artistically, this is a lovely, lovely book. The numbers go 1-10, then 20, 50, 100, 1000, 10 000, 1 000 000, giving a sense of exponential scale to little readers.