#PBMentorTexts is a monthly feature over on my Instagram account. Each month I share a collection of picture books under a common theme. These would make great mentor texts for picture book writers, as well as great text sets for classrooms or at-home reading!
February’s theme was lyrical nonfiction. Rather than an oxymoron, today’s nonfiction books are increasingly beautiful to read as well as look at. Each of these titles holds a special place in my personal library.
Lyrical Nonfiction Text Set
Pando: a living wonder of trees
By: Kate Allen Fox & Turine Tran
This book draws you in and doesn’t let you go. Luminous illustrations add to the dreamy feel.
“For now, / there are more trees than stars you can see on a clear night / than species of fish in the sea / than miles that stretch around the world.
Woven of the World
By: Katey Howes & Dinara Mirtalipova
Capturing the entire history of weaving in a picture book is no small feat, and the lyrical poetry here is stunning.
“I listen as I’m weaving / to the rhythm of the loom. I imagine skeins of history / unfurled across the room—”
The Stuff of Stars
By: Marion Dane Bauer & Ekua Holmes
Luscious marbled illustrations meet sparse lyrical text covering the creation of the universe, plants, and everything else in between.
“And the ash of those dying stars, gathering into planets, and the planets circled other stars…”
Giant Squid & Honeybee
By: Candace Fleming & Eric Rohmann
Each story captures the unique feel of its subject: the mystery of the giant squid and the buzzing, moving life of a honeybee.
“One summer morning deep in the nest, / a brand-new honeybee squirms, pushes, chews through the wax cap of her solitary cell…”
Great Carrier Reef
By: Jessica Stremer & Gordy Wright
An aircraft carrier might not be your first thought for a lyrical picture book, but this book captures its transition to an artificial reef.
“Unlike the Mighty O, which survived its battles unscathed, the future of reefs and the animals they serve is bleak.”
What topics would you like to see covered in a future #PBMentorTexts? Leave your ideas below!
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