Hello, I'm Here! (Step Gently, Look Closely)

Frost's short, rhyming verses help listeners imagine what the chick might hear, see, feel, and think. Often riveting and sometimes touching, Lieder's beautifully lit photographs work well with the expressive text. A pleasing picture book that reads aloud well.

Children will easily relate to Frost's depiction of the chick's daring inquisitiveness while simultaneously finding comfort in the affirming theme of constant parental guidance and caring. With yet another seamless marriage of verse and image, readers will hope Frost and Lieder's creative union continues as long as that of their happily wed sandhill subjects.

PreS-Gr 2--A sandhill crane chick encounters the world. This author-illustrator pair have teamed up for a number of beautiful celebrations of the natural world, but this might be the most enchanting one yet. Striking photographs taken in the marshy world where cranes nest accompany Frost's short poem. Lieder's close-up images show very young crane chicks and their caring parents. They capture expressive poses and remarkable details: the newly hatched chick's long feet are wildly out of proportion to the rest of its fluffy body, its legs are wrinkled, and water drips off wet, clumped down. The narrative opens with a title page image of a crane on its nest in the marsh already talking to the chicks in their eggs. Back matter tells readers that there are usually two chicks, one slightly bigger than the other, and sure enough, in the poem, the just-hatched chick finds his brother (appearing after an artful page turn). There's gentle mention of threats and food. In a spread that might most remind adult readers of toddler behavior, the chick seems to stretch his neck to watch and wonder at adult cranes flying. The home-away-from-home narrative arc ends perfectly with a nap on "Mama's strong wings." These simple abcb quatrains scan beautifully--a good thing, since this will likely be requested over and over. VERDICT Perfectly matched text and images make this a grand entrance.--Kathleen Isaacs, Children's Literature Specialist, Pasadena, MD

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

This author-illustrator pair have teamed up for a number of beautiful celebrations of the natural world, but this might be the most enchanting one yet...The home-away-from-home narrative arc ends perfectly with a nap on "Mama's strong wings." These simple abcb quatrains scan beautifully—a good thing, since this will likely be requested over and over. Perfectly matched text and images make this a grand entrance.
—School Library Journal

Through jaunty rhymes and eloquent photographs, children ages 2 to 5 get to accompany a pair of sandhill crane chicks from egg to fresh air in 'Hello, I'm Here!'
—The Wall Street Journal