Meet the photographer, author and illustrator April Pulley Sayre

Wonder-full in every way. Kirkus Star review

Up until a couple of days ago I had not heard of April Pulley Sayre then, my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything, shared the sad new that this very talented picture book and non fiction author had sadly just died. Here is her post about April from 2011. 

April Pulley Sayre created more than 80 books for young readers.  Here are some of her non fiction titles designed around her beautiful photography:

Kirkus Star review: A celebration of flowers in poetry and photographic imagery. Sayre’s latest feast for the eye and ear focuses on blooming plants, showing their emergence, their growth, their beauty, and their profusion in certain places and times, especially spring.

Kirkus Star review: The excellent photography—with sharp images that join the text in provoking humour, interest, and reverence—attests to the author’s note about spending a good deal of time observing frogs at a nearby pond.

Kirkus Star review: Aside from one small shot of birds on a wire, there are no images of people or human-made objects. The effect—whether read silently or aloud—is mesmerising and reverent.

The photographs are top-notch depictions of flora, fauna, landscapes, and seascapes, 

laid out carefully with the sparse text. Kirkus

And here are some other books by April plus one with the amazing Steve Jenkins:

Going well beyond (but including) the standard apple, orange, banana, grapes and berries, she entices readers with such exotics as tamarillo, kiwano, guava, rambutan, currant, 

durian and the wonderfully named dragon fruit. Kirkus

Sayre delivers another peppery blend of upbeat, celebratory rhymes and photos taken 

at local grocery shops and farmers markets. Kirkus

In 2022 a new book by April (working with her husband Jeffrey) will be available:

Here is a quote from the Simon and Schuster page: April Pulley Sayre (1966–2021) was the award-winning author of more than fifty-five natural science books for children and adults, including her photo-illustrated Being Frog and Best in Snow. Sayre’s books received an abundance of starred reviews, been dubbed ALA Notable Books (Raindrops Roll; Rah, Rah, Radishes) and won a Geisel Honor (Vulture View). 

I picked up Raindrops Roll (2015) from the library this week. The photography is breathtaking. And the language is lyrical.  Here are a few text quotes:

"They gather. They glob together. Raindrop spangles mark angles"

If I had seen Raindrops Roll back when I was working my school library I would have paired it with these: