Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Twenty-one poems that center on the uncommon idea of things "underground." On the cover, a black girl has her ear to the ground beside the roots of a large tree while a white boy cocks his head and listens. The premise of the collection is to encourage children to explore what is under their feet using imagination and wonder. Poems include a variety of forms from terse haiku to a ballad. Whether playful or serious, each poem honors the ability of young readers to navigate syntax, imagery, and wordplay. "Seeds," for example, spins a literary conceit: "This dot, / this spot, / this period at the end / of winter's sentence / writes its way up / through the dull slate of soil / into the paragraph of spring." Yolen's treatment of the underground is expansive, exploring natural subjects as well as a cellar, a subway, and the underpinnings of a city, and buried treasures from pirates' to fossils. Masse's mixed-media illustrations portray the imaginary points of view with aplomb, placing the same two children from the cover in settings both realistic and fanciful. In the backmatter, Yolen offers discursive notes on each poem, expanding on the science presented and her various inspirations. A thoughtful exploration of nature expressed in poetry that should open the eyes of children to unseen worlds. (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)

ALA Booklist (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

What's that sound underground? In this thoughtful collection, it can be anything from ants, to a basement, to the subway, to the roots of a tree, and anything in between. As with Yolen's other poetry offerings, readers are meant to take their time with these poems, lest they miss something, such as the vivid description of the subway that makes it seem like an animal traversing the city, or the wordplay in a poem about buried treasure. On the last page are Yolen's notes on each poem, including both facts and some personal insight. Masse's drawings of a boy and girl tell stories on their own, which nicely complement the verses. The warm, naturalistic illustrations of underground scenes and cutaways often contain an element of charming whimsy, such as when a family of bunnies falls asleep in a burrow cuddled up, or when a red-nosed mole curiously digs along. Great for either a school or public library, this collection illuminates the rich world of activity that goes on beneath our feet.

Horn Book

Poetry and mixed-media cutaway art blend beautifully in this collection of gently connected verses about what lies under our feet. Tree roots and seeds, fossils and tunnels, a basement, and pirate treasure all take center stage by turns, in rhythms perfect for reading aloud. The concluding poem draws everything together, and the endnotes about each poem combine science with the author's observations and experience.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Twenty-one poems that center on the uncommon idea of things "underground." On the cover, a black girl has her ear to the ground beside the roots of a large tree while a white boy cocks his head and listens. The premise of the collection is to encourage children to explore what is under their feet using imagination and wonder. Poems include a variety of forms from terse haiku to a ballad. Whether playful or serious, each poem honors the ability of young readers to navigate syntax, imagery, and wordplay. "Seeds," for example, spins a literary conceit: "This dot, / this spot, / this period at the end / of winter's sentence / writes its way up / through the dull slate of soil / into the paragraph of spring." Yolen's treatment of the underground is expansive, exploring natural subjects as well as a cellar, a subway, and the underpinnings of a city, and buried treasures from pirates' to fossils. Masse's mixed-media illustrations portray the imaginary points of view with aplomb, placing the same two children from the cover in settings both realistic and fanciful. In the backmatter, Yolen offers discursive notes on each poem, expanding on the science presented and her various inspirations. A thoughtful exploration of nature expressed in poetry that should open the eyes of children to unseen worlds. (Picture book/poetry. 6-10)