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Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature

illus. by Beth Krommes

Houghton Mifflin

ISBN 13: 978-0-547-31583-6

Ages 4-8

What makes the tiny snail shell so beautiful? Why does that shape occur in nature over and over again—in rushing rivers, in a flower bud, even inside your ear? With simplicity and grace, Swirl by Swirl not only reveals the many spirals in nature—from fiddleheads to elephant tusks, from crashing waves to spiraling galaxies—but also celebrate the beauty and usefulness of this fascinating shape.

Reader's Guide

Awards

Horn Book Fanfare List
Amazon's Best Books of 2011--Top Ten Picture Book
ALA Notable Children's Book
School Library Journal Best Book of 2011
Booklist Editor's Choice 2011

Book Links Lasting Connection Book
NSTA Outstanding Trade Book
Charlotte Zolotow Award Highly Commended Title

Reviews

**Publisher's Weekly (starred review)
"One of those rare children's books that makes you look at the
physical world differently."

**Horn Book (starred review)

"Powerful, poetic, good for reading aloud and reading again . . .

a treasure trove of details that will captivate the youngest readers for hours."

**Booklist (starred review)

"Reading it aloud at home will make the everyday fascinating."

**School Library Journal (starred review)

"Another first-rate volume from the author and illustrator of Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow."

** Kirkus (starred review)
"Exquisitely simple and memorable."

Wonderful ideas about how to use this book with children from The Classroom Bookshelf at Lesley College

"Powerful, poetic . . . a success in every way."

--Horn Book, starred review

If this trailer will not play for you, go here.

How this book began

I love the way certain shapes in nature pop up over and over again, and have always wanted to write a book about them. Spirals are so beautiful and so satisfying to the eye. I wanted to find out how they happen, and why they occur in so many different places--animals, plants, water, air. After gathering lots of photos and information about spirals in nature, I found out through my editor that illustrator Beth Krommes (who illustrated Butterfly Eyes & Other Secrets of the Meadow) was also interested in creating a book about shapes. Although it is unusual for authors and illustrators to work together (usually the text and pictures are created separately, at different times), Beth and I began to collaborate on a spiral project. We had a ball trying out different formats and figuring out the right way to tell the story. We hope you enjoy the book as much as we did!