I really like There Is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me. The illustration reminds me of the 70's with the colors and "hippie-like" drawings. In this book, it says things such as: "There is a road At the Bottom of my Foot Walking me", "There is an ocean At the top Of my Head Swimming me". This book takes the very little, every day things of nature that are beneficial to us humans and twist it to make it sound as if it is using us. I think children will enjoy this book because it kinda plays a trick on your mind when you read what the author is saying. ( )

This poetry book is very short and sweet. Walker uses creative language when speaking of herself and the nature that surrounds her. "There Is a Flower at the Tip of My Nose Smelling Me", says it all when talking about her writing style in this book. Walker uses the five senses to help tell this story. She gives nature the ability of having control over her, when humans usually show possession over things. Every page ends with “me”, showing her importance in this book. The pages are filled with a reddish orange color. The images Walker give us seem to cradle her in the illustration, as if they are one. In the author’s note Walker says she was inspired by Redwoods on a walk one day to write this “thank you note”. The illustrator, Vitale, did an amazing job relating the pictures to the deep text. Each page flows smoothly into the next with the use of soft, intimate images. I would definitely use this book to show kids how we are a part of nature, as well as nature being a part of us. ( )

This book of poetry is sweet and filled with thoughts of being one with nature and life itself. Walker takes an interesting twist on her way with words. Instead of her person doing the smelling, walking, seeing, and tasting it is the object of thing do it. This just makes a reader think and have their mind wander about all the things they do. I like the spin Walker takes with her poetry. In a classroom this would be the type of poetry book that I would take my class outside to read. I would let them lay in the grass and under trees to be in the moment when listening to poetry like this. Then I would ask them to take in their surroundings and write a line or two of poetry like the author did. This would make them think a little deeper and pay more attention to what they are writing and using their verbs. ( )

Stefano Vitale's illustrations are simply gorgeous, bursting with vibrant, deep colors. I have no idea what the medium used is; it's not something I can identify, but it has grains running through it that add texture. The poetry is very simple with each two-page spread only having six lines or less. It's not clear whether these are intended to be seperate poems or one long poem, but each poem or stanza has the same basic structure. This could be used as a writing prompt to encourage students to construct their own similar poems. ( )

In a series of short verses, Alice Walker praises the world around her: “There is a sky/ At the end of my Eye/ Seeing Me.” “There is a dance/ That lives In my bones/ Dancing Me.” "There is a song/ Deep in/ My body/ Singing/ Me."

Appropriately one of the verses is "There is a poem/ In the cradle/ Of my Soul/ Rocking me." The pictures by fabulous Stefano Vitale capture the joy of the young girl as she celebrates her life and the glory of the Earth.

Walker writes in an Afterword that this book came about because one day she was out walking, and it was so beautiful, “the wonder of myself as part of all this overcame me.” She went home and wrote this book, “which was not a book then, but a thank you note.” ( )