Daniel Finds a Poem

Illustrated by Micha Archer

“On Tuesday, Daniel climbs the old oak tree. He sees Squirrel. ‘Squirrel, do you know what poetry is?’ ‘Poetry is when crisp leaves crunch,’ Squirrel tells him.”

With a simple text and collage artwork reminiscent of Ezra Jack Keats, Micha Archer introduces the reader to the poetic quality of nature in addition to the days of the week. On Monday, Daniel reads a sign that says the following Sunday will be poetry day in the park, but he does not know what poetry is. Every day through that week, he returns to the park and asks a different creature-friend what poetry is, and each one answers with its own definition, depending on how it sees and experiences the natural world. For the squirrel, it’s the crunch of leaves; for the spider, it’s the glistening morning dew on its web; for the turtle, it’s sun-warmed sand; for the cricket, it’s singing at twilight. By the time Sunday rolls around, Daniel realizes that he has a poem and is ready to share it at the event in the park. On the way home, he notices the sunset sky reflecting in the pond and recognizes that this is a poem to him.

While this book dramatizes various elements of poetry, such as imagery, it also ties the reader to nature and encourages a personal connection with the small details one sees and experiences in one’s immediate space. Paying close attention to the natural world where we are not only benefits the poet but is also valuable to all of us. Noticing such details as color, sound, warmth, and light, enhances the interconnectedness of humans with nature– we are of it, not beside it. The story also reinforces nearby nature in that Daniel visits a city park to enjoy animals, trees, ponds, and insects in his urban environment; he need not go far from his home out to the wilderness. The story emphasizes this proximity in his interaction with the owl outside his window toward the end.

The book can teach young readers how to use their five senses to observe the natural world around us more vividly, whether urban or rural. The book also connects language arts, such as poetry and other creative writing, to topics in the environment. Dramatizing personal growth as well, the story shows Daniel discovering what he can do when he gives his own unique view of nature a little time and thought. Activities to use alongside the book might be encouraging students to write their own poems, stories, or journal entries inspired by nature, or visiting a local park or wildlife sanctuary to make observations. Taking a simple walk and making a list of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches from nature might also be a fun activity. The book encourages young readers to observe, absorb, and express their own experience with nature to feel a part of, and celebrate, all the wonders around them!

©2024 ClimateLit (Connie Ann Kirk)

Daniel Finds a Poem is featured in Climate Literacy in Education’s curriculum guide: “Patch of Dirt: Eleven Picturebooks and a Plug for Nearby Nature

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2016

Pages: 32

Lexile Score: AD560L

ISBN: 978-0399169137

Audience: Ages 0-3, Ages 4-7

Format: Picturebooks, Poetry and Short Stories

Topics: Animals, Ecopoetry, Insects, Interconnectedness, Nature, Nature Journaling, Nature Play, Nearby Nature, Poetry, Urban Environments, Urban Wilderness, Wilderness, Wildlife, Wonder