ALA Booklist (Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2019)

Thomas, author of the Good Knight series, here offers a series of contemplative, lyrical meditations tied to mindfulness and appreciation of the wonders of the world. In each vignette, an observation is narrated by a diverse cast of children. The narratives demonstrate that there are many parallels between the self and things in nature, such as trees, rocks, oceans, the sun, clouds, bees, baby birds, soil, cats, whales, and the moon. Closing on the message "just open your eyes and you will find it," this encourages readers to find inspiration everywhere. In Neal's sumptuous illustrations, the soft, boldly colored scenes feature a wide variety of recognizable environments and snapshot-­like images of children serenely enjoying nature. The story's tempo segues to a gentler, lulling tone at the end, soothing readers into a peaceful mindset, making the book a perfect end for the day. For more explorations of mindfulness, pair this with Susan Verde's I Am Peace (2017), Kate Messner's Over and under the Pond (2017), or Julian Lennon's Touch the Earth? (2017).

Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

From trees to bees to clouds, Moore urges readers to open their eyes to the inspiring life lessons offered by nature ("The moon shows me that even when I change, I am still me"). Although the motivational messaging sometimes feels slightly facile, Neal's gorgeous mixed-media and digital illustrations artfully depict various children and their caregivers enjoying the "wide and wonderful world out there, waiting."

Kirkus Reviews

Qualities found in nature are extolled and parallels drawn to strengths that can help children (and adults) face and overcome challenges.Thomas' first-person narration, which some listeners may find preachy and distant, seems intended to represent the voices of the various children pictured throughout. Their voices are similar, however, as each describes the ways that natural elements teach resilience, strength, and bravery, among other characteristics. Trees, for example, "show me how to stand tall," while "Stones show me how to be strong." The smoothly written, extremely earnest text is leavened by occasional wordplay: "Oceans show me how to travel far and wide. / I see all there is to see, / but I always return / with a friendly wave." Neal's double-page spreads, created in mixed-media and digital, have an appealingly childlike feel and are enlivened by some unexpected perspectives. The progress from day to night and back to dawn offers a logical flow, and a nighttime scene of a tiny boat floating above the shadow of an enormous whale among the reflections of stars and moon is particularly arresting. Characters are depicted with a range of skin tones, and a few glimpses of far-off skyscrapers add a hint of urban flavor to the mostly pastoral settings, but no particular cultural or ethnic group or geographical location is identified.Textually purposeful and visually appealing, this may be useful to caregivers seeking to reinforce both positive traits and an appreciation for nature, but it's unlikely to engender much enthusiasm without this kind of deliberate endorsement. (Picture book. 5-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Illustrated by Neal (Everyone) with serene, spacious landscapes, lyrical free verse by Thomas (This Book Is Not About Dragons) explores lessons to be found in the natural world. One voice narrates, but many children appear in the spreads. -Trees show me how to stand tall./ Even when the wind/ tries to blow me down,/ I dance with the breeze./ I do not fall.- Neal draws a tree in a gale, its leaves scattering. A girl in a blue dress stands underneath it, arching her body to the side with a sweet smile on her face, long black pigtails blowing in the breeze. Often, in Neal-s spreads, the majesty of the natural world (the moon, a mountain, bees foregrounded on a page) dwarfs the humans who populate it. In one striking image, the figures of an adult and child in a tiny boat are seen from above, the shadow of a mammoth whale visible below (-Whales show me the wonder/ of big things and small things-). Addressing readers who are likely to draw inspiration from the outdoors, Thomas-s exhortations celebrate both natural beauty and human virtue in a kind of gentle eco-theology. Ages 4-8. Author-s agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary & Media. Illustrator-s agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Feb.)