If you go walking

Others may collect "berries,/ Or pebbles,/ Or wildflowers" on their nature walks, but in a gentle work that gives voracious curiosity its due, a young narrator collects questions. Whether walking alone with a dog or with family members, the child approaches the world with a sense of discovery, their bright brown eyes and round black eyeglasses acting as windows into an always-processing mind. Alladin (Wait Like a Seed) alternates between spreads that showcase information gathered with those that supply queries. "I know birds get round with fluffed-up feathers in the cold, just like me in my puffy jacket," the narrator says, as tidbits about natural insulation ("a fluffy layer that keeps out the cold") appear in callout boxes. But this information raises a host of further questions, including "Do wild birds go hungry without any bird feeders?" Leaping visually across seasons from spring to the end of a snowy winter, it's a thoughtful tribute to the power of observation. Collaged artwork by Sato (Chidori) brings dimensionality to nature's biological and aesthetic wonders--from a snow's artful dusting to the fluff of a bird's feathers. Characters read as East Asian. Ages 4--7. (Nov.)

Questions--but not answers--abound in this celebration of natural curiosity. One can collect lots of things while on a walk, but the pale-skinned, bespectacled young hero of this tale gathers something special: questions, including everything from "How can mushrooms show up so suddenly?" to "How deep do tree roots go?" Seasons change, but the child's mind continues to race. Why? Because, "The thing about answers is, / They're a lot like seeds. / If you take them home and plant them, / they will grow." There's a poetic cadence to Alladin's free verse, as when the protagonist discusses bright winter days when "the sun is all light and no heat." Questions and observations are grouped into small blue boxes, separate from the main text. Though the queries aren't answered, young readers will have a ball mulling them over. Meanwhile, Sato's adept and meticulous cut-paper images perfectly replicate a misty day and snowy rambles in the woods. The illustrator also skillfully works mixed-media elements (for instance, replicating the downy fuzz of a chickadee) into the art. And lest adult readers fret over a child traversing the woods with only a dog for company, a pale-skinned caregiver and younger sibling are often visible, following at a distance. A note at the book's end advises kids on what to do on "wandery-wondery walks." A heartfelt paean to proto-scientists and everything left in this world for them to discover.(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.