Raindrops Roll

“Raindrop spangles/ mark angles./ They cling to curves/ and cover cocoons.” In playful rhymes and breathtaking nature photography, Sayre offers a dramatic examination of a rain shower as droplets soak birds, roll down pumpkins, dot the backs of insects, and muddy the forest floor. Sayre’s close-up photographs are startling in their intimacy—a bead of water seems to defy gravity as it pools precariously on a green leaf, while dozens of tiny drops illuminate a spider’s feather-light web. These images alone are enough to make the book a treasure; an informative closing section exploring water’s forms, behavior, and characteristics is icing on the cake. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)