A spider is a “never-tangling dangling spinner / knitting angles, trapping dinner.” A tree frog proposes, “Marry me. Please marry me… / Pick me now. / Make me your choice. / I’m one great frog / with one strong voice.” VanDerwater lets the denizens of the forest speak for themselves in twenty-six lighthearted, easy-to-read poems. As she observes, “Silence in Forest / never lasts long. / Melody / is everywhere / mixing in / with piney air. / Forest has a song.” The graceful, appealing watercolor illustrations perfectly suit these charming poems that invite young readers into the woodland world at every season.
About the Author
Amy Ludwig VanDerwater’s poems have been published in several anthologies, and her first two poetry collections for children – FOREST HAS A SONG (Clarion, 2013) and READING TIME (WordSong, date TBA) – are soon on the way. Amy is also co-author – with Lucy Calkins and Stephanie Parsons – of the forthcoming grade 2 book, POETRY: BIG LESSONS IN SMALL PACKAGES (Heinemann, March 2013).
On most days, you can find Amy in her cozy old farmhouse in Holland, NY with her husband, their three children, and many pets (maybe even foster kittens!) When not chasing pets, she also travels around the US, teaching about writing workshop, various genres, and how to confer with students. In 2013, Amy will present at IRA, TLA, ALL WRITE!, and the Paramus Writing Institute.
