There Is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me

Walker shares a vision of oneness with the world in this evocative picture book filled with centering imagery. “There is a road/ At the bottom/ Of my/ Foot/ Walking me,” reads one passage that’s emblematic of the reverse perspective on display, through which flowers smell, sky sees, ocean swims, and rain tastes the narrator. Monyei’s bold graphics employ flatly colored visuals of a Black-presenting child in a pink top who sniffs an oversize coral-colored flower, gazes at a smiling moon atop a city skyline, swims among fish and a whale, and stands, tongue out, in the rain. While initial sensory-based examples emphasize nature, later passages shift to the artistic: “There is a poem/ In the cradle/ Of my Soul/ Rocking me.” Walker’s rich poetic conceit juxtaposes with Monyei’s spare aesthetic; working in concert, text and image build to a conclusion that neatly invites the reader to feel connected by embracing the experiential. Ages 4–8. (June)