Watch Me Bloom: A Bouquet of Haiku Poems for Budding Naturalists

Two dozen appreciative haiku celebrate flora such as daffodils, hollyhock, foxglove, and beyond in a picture book that highlights flowers’ unique attributes with spare but vivid imagery. Snow-defying snowdrops and Valentine’s Day roses open the collection, which builds across the global north’s seasonal calendar, from springtime’s cherry blossoms and summer’s sunflowers up to festive winter poinsettias. Patel-Sage frequently links the varietals to themes such as confidence, growth, and strength. In “Borage,” “Planted side-by-side,/ garden stars make perfect friends,/ helping others grow.” Hollyhock’s “showy faces, look outward,/ proud and confident.” Other plant descriptions incorporate intergenerational references: azaleas come “from granny’s childhood” and fuchsia is “Grandpa’s pride and joy.” Appropriately sunny illustrations feature figures of varying abilities, creeds, and skin tones making daisy chains with a caregiver, greeting neighbors, and playing outdoors in a work that’s likely to inspire many garden daydreams. Ages 4–9. (Mar.)