Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature
Illustrated by Beth Krommes. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011. ISBN: 9780547315836. Ages 4-8
A spiral is a growing shape.
It starts small
and gets bigger,
swirl
by
swirl . . .
Why does a snail shell grow in a spiral? And why do spirals occur in nature over and over—in swirling rivers, in flower buds, even inside your ear? With simplicity and grace, Swirl by Swirl not only reveals the many spirals in nature—from fiddleheads to elephant trunks, from crashing waves to galaxies—but also celebrates the beauty and usefulness of this fascinating shape.
“One of those rare children's books that makes you look at the physical world differently.”
*Publisher's Weekly (starred review)
“Exquisitely simple and memorable.”
*Kirkus (starred review)
“Powerful, poetic . . . a success in every way.”
*Horn Book (starred review)
“Reading it aloud at home will make the everyday fascinating.”
*Booklist (starred review)
Resources
Wonderful ideas for using this book with children from The Classroom Bookshelf at Lesley College