GOLDFINCHES by Mary Oliver, illus. by Melissa Sweet
My family and I have recently become enamored with birdwatching. Late spring and early summer signal peak migration season, so birdwatchers can see many species that may only be in the area for a limited time. We have seen many beautiful and brightly colored birds, from the chatty indigo bunting to the flitting bright red summer tanager. My favorite bird, however, is the American goldfinch. Maybe it’s the bright yellow on its chest or the fact that they, like me, love native plants. A goldfinch sighting just feels special.
When I came across an illustrated picture book of Mary Oliver’s poem Goldfinches, illustrated by award winning artist Melissa Sweet, I knew I had to buy it. If you are unfamiliar with Mary Oliver, she was, and continues to be, a revered poet who often wrote about nature and its ability to soothe life’s deepest aches. Although she is one of my favorite poets, I was admittedly a bit unsure about how it would translate into a picture book for children. Upon seeing just the inside cover, I immediately knew that Melissa Sweet not only did Oliver’s work justice but transformed it into a visual masterpiece.
The front pages include the book’s color palette painted on notebook paper, as well as the objects in the book that encouraged the use of these specific colors. Though it comprises just a small rectangular section of the inside cover, this visual welcoming sets the stage for the whole book. Seeds are described as, “teeth of mice, but black” and robin eggs are described as “pale-blue eggs.” The inside cover also includes a quotation from Oliver about the purpose of her poems. Goldfinches can be read as a traditional picture book, but this is really a book to be savored. Each page contains a collage of bright colors, plant and bird illustrations, and the scientific names for the flora and fauna mentioned throughout. Sweet includes zoomed-in illustrations of seeds and callouts of relevant scientific information. Although most pages include scientific elements, the colored pencil and watercolor artwork, combined with collage art and hand-lettered text, makes Goldfinches feel much richer than a science textbook or basic nature primer.
Readers who are new to Mary Oliver will quickly come to realize what is so special about the poet. As it says in the opening pages, Oliver’s writing is a way to honor the beauty of the natural world. In Goldfinches, Melissa Sweet honors both the beauty in the natural world and in Oliver’s words. This book is one worth reading and rereading.
