Rings of Heartwood

Poems on Growing

Written by Molly Beth Griffin, Illustrated by Claudia McGehee

Minnesota Historical Society Press (March 2025)

Description

Growth is exciting—bigger, faster, stronger! But sometimes leaving behind our younger selves is hard. From bugs to bats to bears, the natural world shows us how to embrace transformation as part of life.

Growth is the excitement of something new, like a two-wheeled bicycle or a bigger pair of shiny shoes. In nature, growth shows up in new rings on a tree trunk, or a snake shedding its skin. Growing means a kid’s first day in a new school, and a baby bird’s first bounds out of its nest. We all grow, and sometimes, for all of us, it can be hard. 

In Rings of Heartwood, twelve poems about woodland, wetland, and prairie dwellers explore different kinds of growth. A tadpole grows legs and lungs and transforms into a frog. A fern unfurls from fiddlehead to frond. A spotted fawn hides in dappled sunlight; soon its coat will grow darker and thicker, ready for winter—it will never sport spots again. Molly Beth Griffin’s playful yet meditative lines paired with scientific facts invite readers into the life cycles of plants, amphibians, crustaceans, birds, reptiles, and insects as they grow and change. Claudia McGehee’s vivid scratchboard and watercolor illustrations entice viewers to carefully examine whimsically detailed naturescapes. In words and art, Rings of Heartwood encourages readers of all ages to appreciate the challenge of change, and feel a deep kinship with the natural world. 

Author Information

Molly Beth Griffin is the author of Ten Beautiful Things and Rhoda’s Rock Hunt, among many other books for young readers. She lives in Minneapolis.
Claudia McGehee is the illustrator and sometimes author of many picture books, including Begin with a Bee, Creekfinding, and My Wilderness. She lives in Iowa City, Iowa.