National Trust: I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree: A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year (Poetry Collections)

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NB Kids of the Wild received a copy of the book for the purposes of review. All views and observations are my own. Annette, the wonderful outdoor blogger at Four Acorns in Ireland, first brought it to my attention having bought it for her kids. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to review it for all you wonderful outdoor nature families who follow Kids of the Wild. A real Hymn to nature.’ says Nosy Crow of this outstanding poetry anthology and I wholeheartedly agree. Stylish and distinctive but with real child appeal. A book to share, educate, entertain and to treasure.”

January – The Garden Year – Sara Coleridge - I enjoyed how this poem highlighted each month of the year and the changing seasons. I would have the class write their own version, describing what they felt were the key attributes to each month of the year. This could also be used to support the learning of month names (maths) as well as the season, exploring characteristics of seasons both in England and across the world (science/geography).Winner of the Waterstones Children's Gift of the Year 2018, this lavish poetry collection is a perfect present for any age. Wat een prachtboek, een instant klassieker! Ik ben zo blij dat Van Mourik op I am the seed that grew the tree is gestuit én dat ze besloten heeft om ons (Nederlandstaligen) ook zoiets moois te gunnen. Knap is ook dat ze er voor gekozen heeft om niet de gedichten te vertalen maar wel op zoek te gaan naar gedichten in het Nederlands die bij het thema en de bestaande prenten passen. Dit moet een huzarenwerk zijn geweest, maar zeker en vast de moeite waard. Ik ben er gerust in dat al wie dit boek koopt er jaren plezier van gaat hebben én dat dit het soort boek is dat mensen elkaar blijven schenken. Ik ben hier zo blij mee!

In picture books, Walker publish The Dam: a poignant collaboration between David Almond and illustrator Levi Pinfold, filled with wordless landscapes and harmonies heard deep in the reader’s mind. Commemorating the 1980s flooding of the Kielder Valley, it shows a father and daughter playing and singing in each of the abandoned houses before the water takes them, calling up eternal music on behalf of those who have left: “Behind the dam / Within the water the music stays, / Will never be gone.” I don’t have too many others to compare this book to but so far, this has been my favorite. The design is colorful and cute, the poems curated here are almost all wonderful.Look at the different animals in the book – which animals do you recognise? Think about their habitats and how they live I think if this were to be used in a school setting, it would be a gentle and fun reading session for children to be introduced to older poets, and get a sense of appreciation for nature. Throughout the course of the term or year, I would collate all poems that the children had written to create our own class anthology and share in the school library. Overall this is very well thought out and beautiful collection of poetry and illustrations from start to finish, which would be very versatile in a classroom setting. With younger children I would use this book as a read aloud and share a poem a day, discussing the characteristics of each month/ season. With older children I would use the book to support and explore cross-curricular activities, such as those mentioned in the selected poems above.

I loved this book, particularly the theme of nature and the potential it has to ignite a passion for animals and our natural world in those who read it. I adored the imagery and the overall presentation of the book – it feels special to hold, it makes the poems inside feel special to have, it makes poetry exciting! For those keen to introduce their children to poetry, I am the Seed that Grew the Tree is a classic in the making, a book the whole family will cherish for years to come.”

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I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree is a visually stunning collection of 336 nature poems (one for every day of the year) and illustrations that celebrate the beauty and diversity of our natural world. Waters brings together an extensive range of poets and poems to enjoy, presenting the reader with a perfect blend of well-loved favourites and new discoveries.