By Bette Westera
Illustrated by Henriette Boerendans
Translated by David Colmer
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2026
47 pages
978-0-8028-5652-4
Ages 5-10
A handsome volume translated from the Dutch offers poems in many forms for every season as well as ample inspiration for classroom use. A petal-filled haiku on a two-page spread bursting with lush greenery awakens readers to spring; on the following page, a knobby-kneed lamb and a rondel about new life signal March’s arrival. October’s diamante offers accessible autumnal lines (“withering shivering quivering / squirrels badgers mushrooms shadows”). Elegant woodcut illustrations in a rich palette of natural hues add appealing visual imagery of woodland birds, animals, and plant life. A November rondelet about hibernation is accented with a cluster of maroon mushrooms opposite a full-page print of a cozy ball of hedgehog ensconced in a bed of multicolored leaves. At the conclusion of the four seasons, the page design shifts to a ten-page section about each verse form, presented in calendar view. Each of the previous poems and images is revisited with an explanation of the form and additional insights by the author. For January’s stacking poem, the author explains that “all of the verse forms in this book were once invented by someone, and even today poets are thinking of new forms to pour their words into. That’s how I invented the stacking poem (a poem in which the words are stacked upon each other) for this book.” This essential addition to any poetry collection for young people will delight and inspire. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center