The Mighty Pollinators

by Helen Frost, Rick Lieder (Illustrator)

Veteran collaborators return with poems and close-up photographs of pollinators doing what they do best.

Have you noticed, on a summer’s day, the fine powder at the heart of a flower or floating on a breeze? What is pollen, and why does it matter? Almost invisible, pollen waits for the one thing it a ride on the wind—or on wings, fur, or feathers. That’s where pollinators come in, small and mighty, holding the world together with their work. Soft, shimmering photographs saturated with color evoke the busy world of bees, butterflies, bats, and moths—and many lesser-known species—at close range. Poems encourage the reader to look closely, to marvel, and most of all, to care, while back matter underscores the vital role these creatures play in the ecosystem and the ways we can help pollinators help us.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Nature, Nonfiction, Photography, Animals, Juvenile

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 26, 2024

About the author

I'm dipping my toes into goodreads to see how it works. Thanks for finding me here, and thanks to everyone who has read and written about my books. I love to know you're there, even if I don't come here too often to say so.

Helen Frost is the author of eleven novels-in-poems and seven picture books for children and young adults. She lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/helenf...

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning photographs and lovely informative poems.

[Dolores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning photography accompanied by poem from the amazing Helen Frost. What more could you want?

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Combining poetry and science in 12 short poems celebrating pollinators, this book celebrates those creatures responsible for pollinating plants. It isn't just the more familiar butterflies and bees that do this labor, but also sweat bees, wasps, bats, ants, fireflies, flies, moths, and even the wind, all of which receive poetic tribute here. The poet chooses vivid verbs and paints lovely word pictures that allow readers to see these pollinators in action, describing sweat bees as being "on the front lines" (unpaged) and how moths' antennae "sweep pollen from the flowers" (unpaged). Complemented by the full-color, double-page photograph spreads of each creature, the poems are showcased as though they are just as precious as their subjects. Back matter includes information about pollen, pollination, and how readers can assist pollinators. And readers aren't finished learning as the back endpaper contains a photo of a carpenter bee and an identification list of all the pollinators included in the book. This is another lovely book from Candlewick, sure to please youngsters as well as elementary and middle grade science teachers.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This appears to be the seventh book in Frost’s Step Gently, Look Closely series where she takes a closer look at birds, insects, and flowers. Summer is the perfect time to step outside and look closely at what is happening in your backyard or a nearby park. Spot a flower and you’ll likely see a pollinator close by.

When I think of pollinators I immediately think of bees and butterflies. But, ants, flies, wasps, moths, and bats are pollinators too. Each page of the book focuses on a pollinator with a gorgeous closeup image of that pollinator at work. You’ll see a bee completely covered in white pollen specks or an ant with pollen specks on its head.

These close-up images along with the informative poetry help kids understand how the insects help pollen travel and why their job is so important. The images are beautiful and frame-worthy and the poems are short to keep even the youngest child interested.

The end of the book has more explanations about pollen, pollination, and how to help the pollinators. Read this book with your child and head outside to explore and see if they can spot a pollinator at work.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The creators of Step Gently Out and other books, too, Helen Frost and Rick Lieder, write and photograph The Mighty Pollinators. These early words start us off: "Here come the pollinators,/small and mighty,/holding the world together." Rick's exquisite photographs accompany Helen's poems from bees to bats, and wasps to butterflies. If you sneeze when outside in the spring, Helen writes" "You may not see me,/but you know I'm here/when I brush past your skin./Strong and fierce/or soft and gentle, I'm pollen's good friend–/I'm the wind."
Even humans play a part! The back includes information about pollen, including "what it is" and "how we humans can help." What a lovely and just-right book for now!

Thanks to Candlewick Press for this copy!

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture book nonfiction, poetry. I love to read books about gardening and pollinators, so I was excited to see this book with amazing close-up photos by Rick Lieder. Helen Frost's poems pair perfectly with the images. First pollen is introduced, followed by the most commonly known pollinator-- bees. But then kids might be surprised to find ants, wasps, flies, butterflies, moths, bats, fireflies, and the wind featured as well. Absolutely beautiful. Back matter includes more information on the process of pollination, a brief word on how to help pollinators (plant native plants!), and then a guide that gives more specific names to the pollinators featured in the photos.

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning photography/poetry book by frequent collaborators Helen Frost and Rick Lieder. The Mighty Pollinators is a gorgeous, simple poetry book about pollen, bees, ants, moths, bats, fireflies, butterflies, the wind...The close-up photographs starting with the dustjacket are astonishingly good. Not just pretty (although they are), but the detail is incredible. There is a wide assortment of insects shown pollinating flowers as well as an explanation of what pollen, pollination is and how you can observe pollination. The book also mentions how you can help pollinators. Wonderful!

[Martha Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here come the pollinators,
small and mighty,
holding the world together

Get up close and personal with flowers! See pollen dusted bees, flies, ants and other critters all over those flowers! End with an homage to the wind, the greatest of the pollinators.

Such lovely poetry. Such incredible detailed photos. Another win from this award winning team!

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photography illustrates this collection of poetry about the many different pollinators.

[Margaret]

Another outstanding title in a wonderful series.

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely gorgeous photos, and I’m so glad that insects besides European honeybees and butterflies were included!

[Eunice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful photography, close-up pictures of various kinds of pollinators. Beautiful poems throughout, with more scientific info at the back. Kindergarten+

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Covers a lot of insects and other pollinators with simple poems and stunning photographs.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture book filled with poetry about bees, wasps, bats, and other pollinators with gorgeous photographs.

[Awjtf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photos! Wonderful book!

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful close up photographs of different pollinators and how they work within nature. Not just bees and butterflies but also wasps, ants, flies, etc.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poems, and excellent photography of pollinators, great section on definitions