OUTSIDE YOUR WINDOW A First Book of Nature By Nicola Davies. Illustrated by Mark Hearld. Picture book; ages 3 to 8 Reading poetry may seem an activity for the winter-bound and introverted, but this lovely collection, organized by season, urges children to dash outside, slamming the screen door behind them. Unlike so much poetry geared toward children, not all the verse here rhymes, introducing readers to poetic language outside the predictable cadences of Dr. Seuss. Mixed-media illustrations, with an emphasis on woodblock and silhouette, offer plenty of beauty to contemplate. A STICK IS AN EXCELLENT THING Poems Celebrating Outdoor Play. By Marilyn Singer. Illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Picture book; ages 4 to 8 Charmingly capturing those small moments of neighborhood play, Singer's poems here are about the outdoors, but not necessarily the countryside. There are stoops, sidewalks strewn with jacks, and other signs of urban frolic to comfort those children without the luxury of a summer retreat. Pham (“All the Things I Love About You”) employs a lightly abstract retro style that rings of Tibor Gergely, well suited to these playful poems about old-timey summertime fun.
