Crinkleroot’s Guide to Giving Back to Nature

In Arnosky’s first Crinkleroot book in more than a decade, the bearded woodsman who “was born in a tree and raised by bees” explores environmental stewardship by way of example: he plants grass and trees, cleans up litter, and composts leaves. “Sometimes giving back to Nature means picking up after yourself,” he says. Arnosky blends lighthearted cartoon elements with more naturalistic depictions of birds, mammals, and fish, carefully rendered in pen and acrylic washes. Final notes offer suggestions for indoor energy conservation. The ever-appealing Crinkleroot (who could be a shared descendant of Walt Whitman and Santa Claus) should have readers rethinking their relationship to the natural world. Ages 5–8. (Mar.)