Slither Slide, What's Outside?

Slosh from the big one into the small. Whooshing and slooshing--your own waterfall.

When young children observe the natural world, what do they see? Very often, it's an inspiration for creative play. As in Nora Hilb's previous book, Wiggle Giggle Tickle Train, 13 vibrant spreads show how children use the world around them to come up with ideas for play. Striking real-life photographs of waterfalls, worms, and wintry roads are juxtaposed with lively drawings to reveal a child's own inventive interpretation. Short bursts of action-packed poetry encourage preschoolers to identify patterning in text and the sounds associated with ideas.

The sight of a beautiful rainbow is reflected in multihued crayons as two children create their own masterpieces. The sound of noisy geese flying south sets the stage for a concert with bugle and horn. And imitating a frog leads to a game of jumping over logs.

While developing language skills, kids can create their own imaginative play from what they see in nature.

Nora Hilb is the award-winning illustrator of many books for children, including Leo's Tree and Sophie's Wheels. She lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Simon and Sheryl Shapiro are the husband-and-wife team who wrote Better Together. They live in Toronto.