At This Very Moment by Jim Arnosky

Every moment that a child is doing something during their day, animals are doing things too.  This book reminds us to think about the entire world, even when doing something as normal as taking a drink.  A deer might be sipping from a stream at just the same moment.  When children are eating, animals are eating too, after catching their meals or gathering them.  As evening comes and children head to bed, animals are getting tired too and sleeping in their own ways and beds.  This is a gentle, reassuring book that celebrates our connections to nature, the environment, and the world at large.

Arnosky uses a gentle verse that is rhyming but also free to create the connections between children and the natural world.  The book begins by reminding readers that every single day there are amazing things happening, then it goes on to show that we are all part of those amazing moments.  It is a book that will have readers mindful of what they are doing and what that means in the larger world, without ever becoming didactic about it.  The endpaper of the book has Notes on Animals, explaining Arnosky’s connection with the animals he has depicted in the book.

Arnosky’s paintings are rich and deep, the colors ranging from yellows to deep blues and purples.  They all capture the natural world with a beauty and accuracy. 

This is a celebration of the connectivity of our world, one that children will relate to easily.  Appropriate for ages 5-8.

Reviewed from copy received from Dutton Children’s Books.