The opening page spread of this lovely volume features a poem titled "Fiddleheads" ("Tight green coils like scarved scrolls on a violin...") and facts about these feathery leaves on baby ferns in spring. The final double-page spread features a concrete, evergreen-shaped poem, "Balsam Fir" ("In one breath memory awakens the twinkling lights, glittering ornaments, and brightly wrapped packages. An elegant princess is clad in her holiday garb."), and more about the flat needles of this tree popular at Christmas. In between are twelve additional poems and information about other types of leaves found across the seasons, including the drooping leaves of the willow in summer and the trembling leaves of the quaking aspen in fall. The poems are set against wonderfully composed, deep-hued illustrations further reflecting the beauty of the natural world. (Ages 5-9)

From the unwelcome prickle of the thistle to the generous shade of the catalpa tree, leaves come in a remarkable and surprising variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. Children will be delighted by the fourteen diverse North American plants depicted in Fiddleheads to Fir Trees, from weeping willow and cedar to cattail and poison ivy. The plants are organized by season, starting with the tender fiddleheads of a fern in early spring and ending with the snow-dusted needles of the balsam fir. Scientifically trained illustrator Laurie Caple deftly places insects and animals among the foliage in her beautiful watercolors, adding to their visual appeal. - Poems introduce the leaves and nature notes explain their special features - Readers can search for the insect or animal in every page spread - Children are introduced to all types of leaves from young ferns to insect-eating leaves to scaly spruce - Leaves are pictured in all seasons to demonstrate the diversity of nature