We Are Branches by Joyce Sidman

Abstract

Reviewed by: We Are Branches by Joyce Sidman Kate Quealy-Gainer Sidman, Joyce We Are Branches; illus. by Beth Krommes. Clarion, 2023 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780358538189 $19.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 2-4 Sidman follows up her poetic exploration of spirals in nature (Swirl by Swirl, BCCB 11/11) with a similar look at the persistence of branches and branching, which she defines as a "pattern that divides into two, forming a Y." The book starts with the most obvious example in tree branches as they are "lifting toward the sun, spreading wide to catch each drop of light." From there, viewers get a look at the [End Page 304] tree's roots, also a relatively easy place to spot branching, but the book asks for a bit more observation as it moves along: what about the thin veins visible in a flower petal; the layering of a bird's feathers; the crackling bursts of lightning; the angular points of a snowflake? A river spreads into branches, as do the bones making up a bat's wings. And speaking of bones, the entire human body is made up of branching tissue, veins, and bones. With spare but imagistic text, Sidman highlights the interconnectedness of life, clearly conveying how branching is an essential part of nature as it is the "most efficient way to spread something (like water or energy) from one central spot over a large area." Krommes' defined, crisp scratchboard art is especially effective in following various lines as they branch out and out again, ensuring that borders and throughlines take center stage against softer hues. This would pair nicely with Swirl by Swirl or Chin's recent The Universe in You: A Microscopic Journey (BCCB 10/22) for a look at commonalities and connection in the natural world. Copyright © 2023 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois