By Laura Brand, Illustrated by Freya Hartas
Harry N. Abrams, 2023
Picture Book, 64 Pages, Ages 6-12
“All around us, nature’s tiniest treasures are performing miracles. Flower buds are opening up, bees are making honey, and dandelion seeds are floating on the breeze. Stop, crouch down, and zoom right in….”
Slow Down and Be Here Now… what a great message for us all. Focusing on the minutia in nature is something that is often missed because it’s so much easier to highlight the grandeur and largeness of the world. It’s easier to see and appreciate a sunset, the ocean, or a mountain range, yet it’s the intricate make-up of the ecosystems in the world that lead to that grandiosity we all admire and this author has highlighted such wonderful detail in a readable and lovely way.
Slow down and be amazed at the tiniest of things!
The pages are structured well, with different boxes highlighting such things as the leaf-cutter ant carrying a heavy load or two snowflakes becoming one. The facts are well researched and presented, and the extra little known ‘facts’ about the subjects on each page are really what kids and adults will remember going forward.
Capturing nature in a way that appeals to children isn’t a simple task, yet this author has done it beautifully and thoughtfully. It’s easy to become preachy when trying to also include a message such as ‘slowing down,’ however, there’s nothing condemning or shaming in the “Be Here Now” message at the front. Let’s face it, being here now is something most adults have forgotten and something most children can lead us towards. They have a knack for noticing, we have a knack for categorizing and prioritizing!
As an author of books about nature, ecosystems, wildlife, and conservation, this reviewer is a stickler for detail and factual accuracy and approach books such as this with a great deal of skepticism because presenting nature isn’t as easy as so many authors think. You have to know age appropriate vocabulary, relevant topics, do incredible and detailed research, and know how to stimulate learning and inspire critical thinking, and then wrap it all up into something entertaining as well. This author succeeded hugely.
It’s a long book, with lots of detail, not a bedtime story for certain, but a book that can be pulled out and poured over with great leisure and appreciation.
Slow Down and Be Here Now by Laura Brand receives 5 stars from this reviewer.