In the Woods

A series of poems, each describing a different inhabitant of the woods—a bear, moose, tanager, raccoon, porcupine, bobcat, millipede, and hornet, to name a few—in distinct meter and verse that compliments the animals’ various personalities and attributes. Humor peeks through in some of the poems (as in the two word moose tribute “Ungainly, mainly.”) while others delve deep into the animal’s “duty” (as with the opossum). Excellent word choice provides opportunity for readers young and old to expand their vocabulary, both specific to nature (tanager, cowslip, detritivore, etc.) and general (nonchalance, tenement, homonym, etc.), while gorgeous illustrations provide context and focus for younger readers who may not grasp each individual word but can still sense the beauty and gist of each page. The realistic style of Dunlavey’s illustrations matches the beauty and also factual nature of many of Elliot’s poems in a lovely complementary style.