NONFICTION

Dear Acorn (Love, Oak): Letter Poems to Friends

by Joyce Sidman (text) & illus. by Melissa Sweet
HarperCollins/Clarion. Sept. 2025. 40p. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780358334767. PreS-Gr 3
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PreS-Gr 3–A collage of connective poems told from the point of view of an oak tree to its fallen acorn and vice versa, from a brick to its school house and vice versa, and between more big and small pairs. The message of how the community ecosystem supports another is prevalent in each poetic duo of connectedness, up through the final poem from the point of view of the ocean “to all my creatures.” Artwork is a mixed media of collage, vintage papers, and watercolor that fill the entire book with warmth and rich color. Each poem is written as a letter poem, and the back matter shares instructions to readers on how they can compose their own.
VERDICT An excellent purchase for library collections where poetry and nature books are popular.
Reviewed by Molly Dettmann , Jun 30, 2025

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