YOU ARE HOME

From Acadia in the east to Olympic in the west, Turk presents an artistic and inclusive ode to America’s national parks.

Readers who pick up this 12-inch-square book will be immersed in nature and art even before they open it, as they share an adult and child’s view of mountains, flowers, stream, and sky. Much like the parks they celebrate, each majestic spread in this book holds wonders for the eye to explore, with one or occasionally two parks represented per spread. Well-known and lesser-known parks alike are featured, whetting readers’ appetites to learn more and explore. From close-up views of animals—pronghorn amid prairie grasses, bison in a snowy oasis, a bobcat in the dark—to children and their families—city children and farm children, immigrants and Indigenous, all joyously diverse—the text repeats the soothing refrain to all: “you are home.” The art is created using pastel on black paper, which produces a deep feeling of purpose behind each stroke and swath of color. The art could stand alone, but the words manage to add even more weight, pinpointing the feeling familiar to many nature lovers: “a sense of belonging, / sung by the streams, / from valleys to peaks, / over thousands of miles, / through millions of hearts.” Perusing this book induces a longing to go outside and travel but also to create art of one’s own.

Masterful.