Step Gently Out
Photos by Rick Lieder
Helen Frost

Candlewick Press.
2012 / ISBN 9780763656010
Picture book, insects (ages 2-5)
Amazon

Reviewed by Bob Walch

Stunning close-up photography accompanies the lyrical text created by Helen Frost in this book that implores children to look more closely at the world around them.

"Step gently out, be still, and watch a single blade of grass. An ant climbs up to look around. A honey bee flies past."

A cricket chirps, a moth glides by, a spider spins a silken thread in this little microcosm of the larger, natural world. There's a praying mantis looking at you. A wasp balances on a leaf. As the light shifts, other tiny creatures reflect the soft beams and even the dew of branches sparkles like diamonds.

Very simple in nature, this short poem by Frost coupled with some outstanding color photos highlights and accents the simple wonders one can discover if the person takes the time to look closely at what's going on around him or her.