A FOREST SONG

An ode to our natural world that draws on poetic wordsmiths of the past.

A curious, tan-skinned, curly-haired child in a wide-brimmed hat follows a path into the forest, heeding its siren call. Along the way, the unnamed youngster discovers the calming sensory experiences of nature and all that it has to offer, from the way “the branches rustle, strange and stirred” to the way “the leaves kick’d by my feet soon sing.” As the journey progresses and night approaches, the child is comforted by the joy of being outdoors before heading to bed and waking up near the cool comforts of nature. Hall’s cento poem text uses lines from the poetry of Robert Frost, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Emily Dickinson, among others whose works “were their own tributes to the woods” and whose “messages hold the same meaning today.” Orange, yellow, and purple gouache illustrations are dramatic in scope—vast and grand, yet nurturing at times—with the branches acting as arms keeping the child close. Backmatter includes an author’s note as well as a further look at cento poems and tips for readers to create their own work. A list of “poets and the lines they wrote” is also provided, though the titles of the works aren’t cited.

Nature in all its humbling majesty.