With spring on the horizon, children will be exploring the outside world. Encourage close observation and foster connection with nature with Nature Spy Guide by Shelley Rotner. With simple text and photos featuring kids in nature, this book invites children to search for colors, shapes, and more in the world around them.

Today author and photographer Shelley Rotner shares what inspired her to write this book, how she incorporated all five senses, and more! Read on to download the free activity guide.

What inspired you to write this book?

I’ve always been a fan of spending time in nature especially with kids and seeing the world through their eyes. I’ve done a few books a long time ago that encouraged kids to take a close look, even closer look at what they might discover. I also had a graduate course while getting my MS degree in early childhood from Bank St. College of Education that was given at Bear Mountain Park- a 5,000 acre park about an hour from  NYC. It was one of my first realizations that nature was a wonderful outdoor classroom. My main inspiration for this book came from my young grandchildren when they moved in with me for a few months when the pandemic started to escape living in NYC. Every day, rain or shine, we had an outdoor walk, hike, or puddle jumps. It started with “I spy…” but the adventures started adding up to be enough material for this book.

You are both the author and photographer. What was it like to creatively combine both mediums?

It’s something that I always do since I began creating books. It usually starts with an idea. Then I start photographing since I am so visually driven. I was a professional photographer before I became an author. For this book, I started by documenting my grandchildren knowing that eventually I would find a diverse range of kids which is characteristic of my books . The text starts as a loosely formed first draft and expands with my discoveries and interactions with kids.

You cover all five senses in Nature Spy Guide. How did you decide which subjects to focus on for each sense?

I think using the five senses is a natural way to have the fullest and deepest experience possible. I have to say “taste” was a bit tricky for this book since we don’t encourage kids to find things in nature to taste without adult supervision.

There’s extensive backmatter in the book to help young readers become nature spies. How did you come up with such wonderful activities?

Backmatter has become an integral addition to my nonfiction books. It’s a way to provide more information and in this case activities to help guide educators, caregivers, and parents to engage more fully and have fun enjoying nature. I have to give credit to my backmatter contributor, Colleen Kelley, who is the education director of the Hitchcock Center in Amherst Massachusetts. I have observed and joined the classes she teaches with young children and many of these activities she created.

What do you hope young readers will take away from this story?

I hope young readers, well actually all readers, will take away a love for the beauty of nature—both to enjoy but also to help preserve for generations to come. Climate Change has become a growing concern. I think fostering a love of nature helps children value the earth and potentially become future stewards of the land. I also hope that kids will slow down to really notice the natural world.

Free Educator Resource

Download the activity guide to engage students inside the classroom and outside in the world. Everybody can be a nature spy! This guide can also be found on the Lerner website.

Learn more about the Author