Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature

Author: Joyce Sidman

Illustrator: Beth Krommes

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011

Age Range: Grades K-2

Lexile: 330L

ISBN: 9780547315836

Awards and Recognition

Junior Library Guild Selection

Young Hoosier Award Nominee 2013-2014

ALA Notable Children's Book, 2012

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature is a beautiful display of the the many qualities and functions of spirals.  Joyce Sidman describes in poetic sentences the way that spirals protect and give strength to plants and animals.  She also explains the way that they can be observed in weather patterns- visible in the air and water.  Her examples are beautifully depicted in Beth Krommes' artwork.

Each page contains no more than a singe sentence, making it a quick read.  However, the reader will want to linger on each page observing the intricacies of the artwork.  The book would work well as a read-aloud for a class of students, but it would work even better as a read-aloud with just one or two children sitting right beside the reader.  That way the artwork can be examined up close so the children and adult could point out and discuss all of the examples of spirals shown in the artwork.  The drawings of plants and animals are all labeled, which adds to the scientific purpose of the book.  At the end of the book, Sidman takes a couple pages to add more detailed, expository passages about spirals, giving examples of the way that they are strong, clever, growing, and so on.  The language is still very kid-friendly, but the facts that are read aloud will probably vary depending on the child.  For example, a kindergartener could appreciate the way a hedgehog "rolls up into such a tight spiral that the only thing showing is its bristly back, full of quills."  However, the information about the Fibonacci sequence would be better comprehended by an older child.

I was surprised by the extent of the examples of swirls in this book.  Sidman reveals that swirls can be found all throughout nature.  After reading this book, children will likely want to look for swirls in their own classroom, house, or backyard.  A parent or teacher could encourage them to keep a scientific notebook to record "swirl sightings."  The child could practice making detailed drawings and labeling them.  This could lead to other nature observations that could be recorded in their notebook.

The unique pictures in the book are scratchboard illustrations.  You can read an explanation of this style of art at illustrator Beth Krommes' website.  She won the Caldecott Medal in 2009 for a book that she also illustrated in the scratchboard style- The House in the Night.

A video preview of Swirl by Swirl is available on Youtube, posted by the book's publisher.  You can also view the book's Amazon Preview.

If you enjoy Swirl by Swirl, check out this other collaboration between Joyce Sidman and Beth Krommes- Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2006).