Since we’ve been talking about spring and sunshine, I have to talk about this book.

“Southwest Sunrise” by Nikki Grimes is another picture book where the poem fills every page.  This poem is also a story of a young man (Jayden) who has just moved to New Mexico and isn’t happy about it.  He goes outside for a walk and discovers flowers and birds and all sorts of things he’s never seen before.  It changes his mind, as well as the reader’s.

This book reminded me of my trip (two summers ago now) to New Mexico to meet up with my mother-in-law and explore the Southwest.  I marveled at how different it is there from where I live.  Hot, dry, and oh so colorful!  Those colors are captured beautifully by illustrator Wendell Minor in this book.

Yet I was surprised to find that Alaska and New Mexico have something in common, thanks to this book.  I didn’t know that we both had magpies!  (Though Alaska’s magpies have this beautiful flash of blue-green in their tails.). So I share this particular spread of the book with you here.

And if you’re looking for more poetry fun this month, be sure to check out the Kidlitosphere Event Roundup!