When you go into nature

Nature has many lessons for us if we're willing to take the time to get outdoors and discover them. From virtues such as patience, teamwork, and gratitude to life lessons such as learning to let go and expressing yourself, the points presented in this book are both important and apropos to our time, and they're delivered without didacticism and wrapped in great facts about nature and wildlife. For example, nature can teach you to move slowly like a snail, not just physically but also when completing a project, eating, or spending time with others. Readers are encouraged to be strong but flexible, like a spiderweb or a mighty tree bending in the wind. A nest's softness becomes a lesson in kindness. On each spread, a paragraph in a larger font presents lessons and offers an example from nature; text in a smaller font provides more facts, expands on the lessons, and includes a question for readers. The author's note makes clear that learning can take place in nature, not just in school. Hanson's whimsical illustrations perfectly match the tone and learning folded into the text. While most of the adorable animals are slightly anthropomorphized in their facial expressions, they're otherwise accurately depicted, from snails' shells to the patterning on a garter snake. A wonderful resource for getting kids outside and thinking about the things that will take them far in life. (Science picture book. 4-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.