Something About the Sky

Carson’s quietly eloquent essay offers a stirring mix of natural observations and insights… . the illustrator creates misty, evocative cloudscapes behind and above views of seas and mountains in various weathers and seasons, as well as spare glimpses of human figures diverse in terms of age, with skin the color of the page, mostly with inward gazes. Overall, the effect is solemn, stately … bound to leave readers in a meditative mood. Contemplative and stirring—definitely for wonderers.—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)Images inspired, per a creator’s note, by the ever-changing forms of cloud and sky engage with the text’s precision while adding warmth and vividness via scenes of people experiencing the world’s wonders. It’s a fitting jumping-off place from which to contemplate “the writing of the wind on the sky”—and continue noticing the natural world.—Publishers Weekly (starred review)This previously unpublished essay from “poet of science” Carson (1907–1964) is paired beautifully with McClure’s cut-paper and swirling ink-wash art… . [Caron’s] thoughts are as wonderfully ruminative as one might expect from the environmental scientist and nature-writing icon… . In an endnote, McClure explains the origins of Carson’s essay, how the book project came about, and the thoughtful and resourceful process she used to create the illustrations. – The Horn Book (starred review)Carson is, perhaps, one of the most revered nature writers; here, her lyrical words about the sky are beautifully rendered for a young audience by McClure’s pictorial interpretation. McClure, an award-winning papercut artist, uses sumo ink, black paper, and cuts to ground Carson’s words in a reality children can recognize… . Although designed for young readers, this will appeal to older audiences and is a stellar first purchase for all libraries. – School Library Journal (starred review)After coming upon fragments of Carson’s long-lost television script via Orion magazine, the artist Nikki McClure — who grew up immersed in nature, worked for a while at the Department of Ecology and finds daily delight in watching birds under the cedar canopy by her home — was moved to track down the complete original and bring it to life in lyrical illustrations. Known for her singular cut-paper art, with its stark contrasts and sharp contours, she embraced the creative challenge of finding a whole new technique in order to channel the softness of the sky… . What emerges is a kind of tender visual poem, as boldly defiant of category as Carson’s writing. – The New York Times Book Review A fascinating collaboration from a distance of nearly 70 years, McClure’s sensitive visual realizations of Carson’s evocative words create a deeply satisfying wholeness, where science is conveyed through poetic words and art reveals the majesty of the natural world. This informative and inspiring picture book is—as McClure comments in her thoughtful afterword about Carson’s writing—beautifully “calm and clean and comforting.” – BooklistA quietly beautiful meditation on the natural world … Crack the spine, and through this contemplative mix of Carson’s writing and McClure’s art, you may learn how to ‘read the language of the sky.’ – Nature Conservancy Magazine

Rachel Carson (1907–1964) spent most of her professional life as a marine biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. By the late 1950s, she had written three lyrical, popular books about the sea, including the best-selling The Sea Around Us, and had become the most respected science writer in America. Her book Silent Spring helped shape a powerful social movement that has altered the course of history.

Nikki McClure is a self-taught cut-paper artist renowned for her calendars and her highly acclaimed picture books for children, including Old Wood Boat. Outspoken about living well and responsibly with the earth, she makes her home in Olympia, Washington.