Beautiful art and succinct text teach about the many spirals found in nature.

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature uses vivid poetry to describe all the beautiful spiral shapes found throughout the world in living creatures and landscapes both large and small. Not only the form and beauty of the spiral is highlighted, but the function. Page after page the author slows down life to observe the different unfurling shapes and purposes of the swirling patterns all around us. A tiny millipede, spiral sheep horns, an octopus unraveling its tentacles or a monkey curling its tail around a branch to hold strong. The sparse verse in this book is perfectly laid across the lovely, detailed illustrations. It will capture the imagination of elementary students who will love to look for the examples of dolphins who curl and bend as they jump in the curve of waves that move under swirling clouds or expand into an unfurling galaxy. A swirl can spin, sparkle, it can twist, hold strong or even snuggle like a mouse in a nest. A delightful book about the form and function of spirals in nature. ( )

Very pretty. ( )

I love how Sidman goes beyond simply pointing out instances of spiral formations in nature and demonstrates the different qualities they have and functions they serve. Krommes' illustrations are both graphic and dynamic, encapsulating the synchronous strength and beauty of spirals. C adores this book and has spent the last two weeks pointing out spirals wherever she seems them.

This book makes the Fibonacci sequence come to life as it shows its application in nature and all around us. This would be great in a math class when talking about patterns and/or symmetry. It could also be used in a Language Arts class in a poetry unit as the book is written in poems.