Anna has a table in her bedroom where she keeps found and collected objects from nature - rocks, shells, a dead crab, a flattened lizard, bones from owl pellets, etc. Each object is presented with its own story and mystique. The girl is filled with wonder at each new discovery.

I have heard that it is best to leave the objects in nature. For kids, I'm not sure I agree. Collecting instills a deep appreciation of nature and is a later reminder of the joy of the discoveries. It seems a natural thing to want to keep the items for studying and as a reminder of the whole experience.

The rhyming story has a slow and contemplative mood, giving children time to look closely at the objects on display. The pictures are filled with whimsy and the excitement of being in nature and exploring its mysteries.

related-nature, collections and collectors, stories in rhyme
RL=1st-3rd, read aloud to toddlers-1st