Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In 16 wonderfully imaginative letter poems, Newbery Honoree Sidman imagines both sides of typewritten correspondences between unlikely pen-pal pairs, including a school and one of its bricks, a coat and a button, and a child and their toes. The book's title refers to missives exchanged by a melancholy oak tree and its soon-to-fall acorn; the nut acknowledges that while its growth will be "so slow!" the acorn will nevertheless remain "your friend, the one who rises up beside you." Later, a "bobbing, drifting, shimmering!" soap bubble sends greetings to the sky, who thanks it for "that soapy kiss" before popping. Sweet (Unbound) responds to these heartfelt messages with signature-style collage images that go beyond special delivery: each one incorporates variations on color, perspective, scale, texture, and typography. Sincere regards to this fanciful celebration of connection, interdependence, and the rewards of not forgetting to write. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. An afterword provides guidance on creating letter poems. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--A collage of connective poems told from the point of view of an oak tree to its fallen acorn and vice versa, from a brick to its school house and vice versa, and between more big and small pairs. The message of how the community ecosystem supports another is prevalent in each poetic duo of connectedness, up through the final poem from the point of view of the ocean "to all my creatures." Artwork is a mixed media of collage, vintage papers, and watercolor that fill the entire book with warmth and rich color. Each poem is written as a letter poem, and the back matter shares instructions to readers on how they can compose their own. VERDICT An excellent purchase for library collections where poetry and nature books are popular.--Molly Dettmann
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In eight pairs of poems, Sidman creates dialogues between two subjects, some in nature (cloud and droplets), some human-made elements (button and coat). For example, in the first poem, an oak addresses an acorn: "I feel you there / a tickle at my twig tips." The tree forecasts: "The next stop is earth. / Then years upon years / until you see this sky / this high / again." Acorn responds with an acorn-shaped concrete poem: "I know I must drop and sleep and / sprout and grow. So slow!" The first-person voice in each poem is strong, offering an invitation, an homage, or a vivid self-portrait. The connections and contrasts between the two entities in each poem pair are appealing and compelling; readers may even glean metaphorical meanings about the connections between all things. The poems are full of musical alliteration, vivid sensory imagery, and clever perspectives; some rhyme, but many are in free verse. Sweet's colorful, textured mixed-media collage art enhances these inventive pieces. Each individual poem appears on a double-page spread with layers of images tied to the work's meaning, and her palette moves from vibrant pink to intense turquoise to buttery yellow, with swirls of circles, cut-out blocks, and apparently hand-drawn letters all blending dramatically together. A note on "Writing Letter Poems" offers helpful steps for young readers. Sylvia VardellSeptember/October 2025 p.81 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this collaboration from Newbery Honor winner Sidman and two-time Caldecott Honor--winning Sweet, epistolary poems give voice to natural pairings in ecosystems and human-made environments--bubbles to sky, bricks to school, and more. Comprising 16 poems, the collection blends various forms to capture a series of conversations, each revealing deep truths about interdependence and perspective. From the sandy shore comes a baby turtle's rhyming plea: "Dear Ocean, / We've waited and watched / till the moon grows bright, / till the night grows cool / and the time is right." In another, an oak reassures its acorn, calling it a "plump promise." The book's genius lies in Sidman's ability to transform these everyday connections into profound exchanges, creating lyrical dialogues that will prompt readers to see the world through curious eyes. Sweet amplifies the verse with her signature mixed-media collages, strategically using color to establish emotional resonance and varying scale to emphasize the difference in size between each of the paired voices. Sweet's layering of materials visually reinforces the theme of interconnectedness, with compositional choices that guide the eye between corresponding elements. Sidman concludes with accessible instructions for aspiring writers to create their own poems and correspondences--a thoughtful addition that extends the work's impact beyond its pages. Humans depicted are diverse. An imaginative and insightful masterpiece of poetic correspondence that invites readers to discover new connections.(Picture book/poetry. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
