A Forest Song

Gr 3-5–In this imaginative picture book, cento poetry weaves together lines from renowned poets of the past to form a new narrative about a child’s journey through the woods. The result is a lyrical and sensory-rich exploration of the forest that captures the wonder and magic of nature. Vibrant, autumnal illustrations complement the lyrical narrative, bringing the forest to life with rich colors and textures. Some children may find the language challenging, as many of the lines come from poems that are sometimes over a century old. For example: “Through the pathless woods I wind,/ Knowing what I hope to find/ Yet there are no signs!/ Only boughs entwined,/ And I know not which to follow.” According to the author’s note at the back, this excerpt is an amalgamation of lines from Lord Byron, Oscar Wilde, and Rosanna Eleanor Leprohon, who all wrote during the 1800s. Hall uses fragments from their poems often, with lines shortened and reordered to fit her narrative. Younger readers might find difficulty understanding these complex sentence structures involving abstract thinking and vocabulary such as “boughs entwined” or “pathless woods.” But while the language may be difficult for some young readers, this book offers a great introduction to poetry and creative writing.