Round

by Jennifer Ward, Lisa Congdon (Illustrator)

From award-winning author Jennifer Ward and celebrated artist Lisa Congdon in her debut picture book comes a lyrical, rhyming exploration of the many round things that can be found in nature.Nature all around is round... Take a spin through the seasons in this thoughtful and meditative picture book that explores roundness in the natural world. There are round birds’ nests and eggs in the spring, round raindrops falling from the sky in the summer, round apples filling the trees in the fall, and round snowflakes covering the ground in winter—and so much more! Little ones will love this stunning read-aloud that is certain to intrigue and inspire them to start looking all around outside for things that are round.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Science, Nonfiction

48 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 29, 2020

About the author

Jennifer Ward is the author of more than 25 award-winning nonfiction and fiction books for children and adults.

Her books have been translated into many languages and featured in Martha Stewart's Living, Ranger Rick, on NPR, television's Animal Planet network, and on many popular blogs such as Soule Mama.

Most of Jennifer's books are inspired by science and nature and artfully combine elements of STEM & literacy.

She writes full-time from her home in Illinois where she lives with her husband and two dogs and is easily distracted by everything outside of her windows - particularly if it has feathers!

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely! The illustrations are a delight and I really enjoyed the way the "round" concepts in nature are conveyed both with illustrations and a few simple words. For example, with the snail, "Slow round" on one page showing the snail moving along... then "Stow round" on the next page, showing the snail tucked up in the shell. Or "Glowing round" (fireflies making circles of light) and "Growing round" (waxing crescent moon). It's very simple, and I think even toddlers would enjoy the illustrations, but it could be a nice jumping off point for slightly older kids to discuss some of the concepts presented.

[Tiziana · Rating 3 out of 5]

A colourful picture book about all things ROUND found in nature that we are constantly surrounded by. A simple book that kids will surely love - especially the interactive bit where they can search for various types of 'round' on each page.

[Rebecca]

Could tie to STEM activities in regards to finding arches, coils, circles, spirals, curves & ringed shapes/lines in nature.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ringing in with a celebration of nature, the idea of 'round' is presented in a sweet and unforgettable way.

Nature is round. That's the main theme in these pages, and it's presented in a clear, constant way. From the moon to a curled up fox, the possibility to find 'round' things seems almost limitless. The author keeps the text extremely simple with only a few words on each page and let's the illustrations take over from there. Listeners will figure out pretty quickly what round is and probably head off to find things on their own...and if they are as inventive as this book, they'll have tons to discover.

The illustrations make this a read listeners will want to grab up on their own time and again. While the text isn't overly exciting (that's not the point, either), the illustrations allow all those round things in nature shine. The pictures are full of positive vibes and hold a variety of images and settings.

As a whole, the book definitely brings across the idea of round and holds repetition as the main teaching tool....which works. There were a few moments, where I'm not sure the idea of round really fit the presented scene, and some listeners might be a bit stumped. But all in all, the book does it's job well and definitely gives enough 'round' for listeners to catch onto the concept pretty well.

I received a complimentary copy and especially enjoyed the illustrations in this one.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfi...

ROUND is a simple concept with lovely delivery. The book takes us through a visual exploration of so many round things in nature and with animals. The text has brief descriptor words of the round items, such as "Sweet round. Treat round." on a page with a squirrel eating apples in a tree. The text moves very quickly and allows the illustrations to really shine with their detail, bright colors, and many animals.

What I loved: This is a great pick for young readers who are beginning to see shapes around them and appreciate a fast story. The book would work really well as a board book. The text includes lots of repetition of the word round, which is also great for early readers, and gives a nice rhythm when reading aloud. The illustrations are truly lovely with lots of colors, details, and animals to delight readers. The font is large, clear, and easy to read.

What left me wanting more: As a small point, there are a couple places where the round descriptor does not quite match, such as the snowflakes, which are depicted as the detailed version, rather than the little circles.

Final verdict: Simple and lovely, ROUND is a poetic exploration of all the round shapes in nature with beautiful and detailed illustrations filling the pages. Recommend for toddlers and preschoolers as well as early independent readers.

Please note that I received a review copy. All opinions are my own.

[Kristin Guay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will have children (and probably adults too!) looking at nature in a new light. This beautifully illustrated book features the many things in nature that are round. This includes the smallest of black dots on a ladybug to the largest planets in our solar system. The rhythmic text gently takes the reader through all the seasons in nature including blue robin’s eggs in a round nest to a fox curled in a circle in the snow. The text is very simple, sometimes only two words on a page, but the story is also in the illustrations. Children can carefully look at each page to see the round shapes found in nature.

The illustrations really “pop” in this story--green frogs on green lily pads rest on a pale blue pond, white dots are on the brown fur of a young deer, and a round full moon glows in the pitch black sky. I absolutely loved the illustrations in this book!

The text is very simple, so I would recommend this book to children under the age of four years old. It would be a great book to read just before going outside and finding your own round objects in nature.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each day our world is shaped by our perspectives. If we seek the extraordinary in the ordinary, we will find it. It is not easy, but something to be refined with purpose and persistence over time.

In a bright, cheerful ode to our natural world, Round (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, September 29, 2020) written by Jennifer Ward with illustrations by Lisa Congdon asks us to rethink what the word round means to us. In an Author's Note on the dedication and verso page, we are challenged to identify other examples of round. The wonder of this book is twofold; we journey into a search for round as a circle and round in its other forms.

My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is hard to make a concept book, especially one about a single kind of shape, feel original and spunky but that is what this author has accomplished. The text is simple which is perfect for the young, shape learning target audience. It encourages the reader to notice shapes all around them in the natural world. The illustrations are bright and bursting off the page. The big, bold shapes lend themselves to being viewed during a story time. This book begs to be read aloud to little ones and then taken outside on your own hunt for round things in nature. STEM themed, engaging, and perfect for sharing during story time in a preschool classroom or library story hour.

[Louise Aamodt · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, I love that the author's note comes at the very beginning of the book to help us understand that roundness is not necessarily in the shape of a circle. With that broader definition in place, we can appreciate the many examples of roundness in nature throughout the book. Most spreads only have four words, but the two on each page work beautifully together to share a vignette. For example, "Cling round / Ring round" shows a frog on a lily pad for the first half, then the frog dives into the water, creating a rippling ring for the second half. I can only imagine how long it took the author to make this look so effortlessly simple.

[Alysa Fenner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe the book served its purpose which was to show that round shouldn’t only be thought of with perfect circles. Round exists all around us in nature! There were beautiful pictures and words to go with each page. There was no story which was sad, but I think this was a book used to teach concepts more than tell a story. This would be a good book for readers who a learning shapes, like colorful pictures, and learning.

[Kelsey Adelman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very good! It is an easy read because there are very few words on each page; however, some students may encounter new vocabulary. It references lots of nature and animals. I would use this book in a read-aloud and ask numerous questions throughout to explore students' knowledge and understanding. This book could be used in a shape unit or left out for students to reference when drawing. Overall, this book is very creative, and I think my future students would love it!

[Lauri Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pairs of rhyming words give us a look at roundness in nature. My favorites tell a little story, like “coiled round. Foiled round,” where a snake is napping then escapes a fox. Other pairs were more loosely related .

[Christine Zandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book is beautifully illustrated in bright colors that will engage young readers. The simple rhyming text showcases round things in nature. There is also a secret cover beneath the dust jacket. All around a lovely book.

[Norkett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty of glorious, colorful illustrations of nature! It makes you realize just how much around us is round.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book. I love the simplicity, beauty, and color!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A colorful, lyrical exploration of the many round things that can be found in nature.

[Laine · Rating 3 out of 5]

caregivers might find this one to be a bit tiresome to read after a little while.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet rhyming concept book about the many round things found in nature.

Note: I accessed a digital ARC via Edelweiss.

[Michele Knott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perspective in nature!

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introductory science picture book.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations, text too repetitive

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty book. The text felt a little forced to match the images but I still really liked it.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! Beautifully illustrated, and obviously meant to be shared with those who have yet to learn how to read for themselves …

[Adrianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty book about 'roundness' in nature; the illustrations are the real star, and I plan to check out the illustrators other works.

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the simplicity of this book, the exploration of nature through "round" things makes for lovely illustrations and an interactive read with children.

[Cindy Overcast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you don't need a lot of words to tell a story. Round uses just a few rhyming words and beautifully simple illustrations to help readers discover how nature's roundness is all around us.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/8/2023 ~ Clever (and sometimes awkward) 2 word phrases about things in nature that are round. A variety of perspectives.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. The Author’s Note on the opening end page was a positive start, but I was disappointed by the execution — finding the text rather unengaging.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found in L4L Volume 90.

[Viviana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Art 3-4 stars