Books
Middle Grade Non-Fiction
A Year in Nature: Explore the Countryside, Month by Month

A Year in Nature: Explore the Countryside, Month by Month

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Author(s)

René Mettler

Publisher

Post Wave

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

March 18, 2025

ISBN

979-8895090046

Journey through a year in the charming countryside, observing its changing seasons, plants, and animals.

Discover why the seasons change and how creatures like foxes, mice, and birds adapt to the shifting environment, from frosty winter nights to golden summer days.

With big, fold-out pages and plenty of facts, readers will explore the natural world in fascinating detail. They will also learn which plants and animals come and go through the year, how temperature and daylight shifts, and some of the fruits and vegetables that are harvested throughout the year. A Year in Nature is a captivating and beautifully illustrated journey through the changing seasons, month by month.

YEAR-ROUND APPEAL: The perfect book to revisit month after month to see how the environment in the book changes—and how it compares to the plants, animals, and weather where the reader lives.

Editor review

1 review

Vicarious trip to the French countryside!

July 12, 2025 (Updated: June 12, 2026)

Overall rating

4.3

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Learning Value

4.0

In this beautifully illustrated, oversized French import, the reader is transported to an idyllic countryside with rolling hills and two amazing châteaus. This starts with a complete but succinct explanation of the seasons, and how they change in Europe and North America. After that, every month gets a fold out overview of the temperature, length of day and night, and a description of what the prevailing weather conditions are. There is even a "Gardener's Basket" which lists what foods are being harvested; who knew that Brussels sprouts had such a long winter growing season! On the other side, the plants, trees, animals and birds that pepper the landscape are described, along with what changes are occurring because of the weather. The real draw to this book is the two page spread of the countryside that shows a view from a hill complete with a winding country lane, far off village, fields, and a river.

Good Points

Mettler, who first published this book in 1997, wrote and illustrated many books dealing with nature and the environment, including Flowers, The Rain Forest, and Animal Camoflage. His attention to detail makes these illustrations come to life, and each feather on a bird or leaf on a flower is painstakingly drawn. These should really have been made into wall posters, since they are the sort of picture I could stare at for hours.

The information about the seasons is equally complete, although there is an inordinate amount of discussion about hedgerows that tipped me off (along with those châteaus) that the scene was set in Europe. The temperatures also indicate that this takes place a bit further north than where I live (82 degrees in July sounds lovely and cool!), but also might indicate that climate change is indeed warming this up. I am a little suprised that the text was not updated with some information about current conditions.

Seasons are a big topic for younger readers, and I enjoyed that this gives good basic information about the reasons for the changes. I can see an interested reader consulting this book at the beginning of each month and checking to see how the world outside compares with the description in the book. Combine this with Barnum and Frost's A Stroll Through the Seasons, Jenkins and Jones' Squirrel's Busy Year, and Duvoisin's classic 1950 The House of Four Seasons to give your young reader a good overview of the changing natural world.