Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

“Animals were once at the center of the human story,” writes poet, essayist, and teacher Deming in her introduction to this evocative contemporary anthology of animal poems, while in her foreword Robin Wall Kimmerer observes, “these poems stir something deeply reciprocal in our animal memory.” Arranged in seven thematic sections, each launched with an “Echo” of an older poetic global tradition, this gathering explores the wonders of animals and our profound connections to other species, from the cat purring beside us to whales of the deep to busy ants. Ada Limón conjures a horse, Lucille Clifton a “black shambling bear,” Gerald Stern a squirrel, Joy Harjo eagles, Camille Dungy “the impossible hope of the firefly.” Edward Hirsch’s definitive “wild gratitude” chimes with Hai-Dong Phan’s “wild patience” when birdwatching, while Craig Santos Perez writes: “I don’t want our daughter to know / that Hawai’i is the bird extinction capital / of the world.” From “Praise” to “Lament” to “The Sacred,” this sweetly illustrated and vital assemblage expresses our innate love and need for animals, fellow beings we must cherish and protect.