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The Earth Is Painted Green: A Garden of Poems About Our Planet
An illustrated collection of poems from around the world about various aspects of life on Earth.
81 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1994
3 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Brenner
104 books12 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Barbara Brenner is a respected, award-winning author, specializing in works of both juvenile fiction and nonfiction educational material that deals with animals, nature, and ecology. Her interests range from the natural world (i.e. Thinking about Ants) to American history (e.g. Wagon Wheels), all of which are reflected in the wide scope of her work. Brenner discussed with Contemporary Authors Online her influences and how they have affected her literary career, concluding that “all the circumstances of my life conspired to make me a writer--just lucky, I guess.”
Brenner was born Barbara Lawrence on June 26, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York, to Robert Lawrence (a real estate broker) and Marguerite (Furboter) Johnes. Tragically, her mother died when Brenner was just a year old, and, according to Brenner, this has been a large influence on her career, with Contemporary Authors Online showing how this has added a certain level of “sensitivity” to her work. She also defines Brooklyn as a place which gave much “color” to her work, and where her father’s ambitions for her helped to develop Brenner’s intellectual curiosity.
Brenner attended Seton Hall College (now University) and Rutgers University from 1942-46, whilst also working as a copy editor at Prudential Insurance Co. from 1942 – 46. Her freelance work as an artist’s agent prepared her for a literary life, as after the birth of her two children she began work on her first book Somebody’s Slippers, Somebody’s Shoes, published in 1957. She followed this book with an educational picture book entitled Barto Takes the Subway, designed to improve reading comprehension and sight vocabulary.
Her artistic development continued when she began to collaborate with her husband, illustrator Fred Brenner, on The Flying Patchwork Quilt. Her next book, On the Frontier with Mr. Audubon, was selected by School Library Journal as “The Best of the Best” among children’s books published over 26 seasons. In a review of On the Frontier with Mr. Audubon, Paul Showers wrote in the New York Times Book Review that “Brenner again demonstrates her gift for invention and respect for facts . . . [it is] written in the polite but colloquial language of the frontier sketching in Audubon’s biographical background and recording events of the journey as they might have been observed by a serious, very perceptive 13- year-old.” One of her best-selling titles was Wagon Wheels (published in 1978), which deals with the trials and tribulations of a close-knit African American family. This true to life story is “exciting and realistic” according to Gisela Jernigan (writing in the children literature journal Booklist), and was named a 1978 American Library Association Notable Book.
Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s Brenner continued to publish, many of her works being influenced by the careers and interests of her sons. Speaking to Contemporary Authors Online Brenner explains that as their sons are both grown, and their respective careers as a “biologist . . . and musician” have both had an influence on her writing (i.e. Dinosaurium 1993). In 1986, Brenner was honored with the Pennsylvania School Librarians’ Association’s Outstanding Pennsylvania Author Award. Brenner’s most celebrated book is a collection entitled Voices: Poetry and Art from around the World, for which she was chief editor. This book received an ALA Notable Book for Children mention and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults award. According to the Horn Book Guide from Spring 2001, “more than three hundred and fifty poems from six continents evoke the specific and the universal” with contributions from both “celebrated and unknown poets, Nobel prize winners, and children” allowing the book to demonstrate Brenner’s skill in celebrating “place” and the “shared feelings” of the people about whom the book is written.
Barbara Brenner is a respected, award-winning author, specializing in works of both juvenile fiction and nonfiction educational material that deals with animals, nature, and ecology. Her interests range from the natural world (i.e. Thinking about Ants) to American history (e.g. Wagon Wheels), all of which are reflected in the wide scope of her work. Brenner discussed with Contemporary Authors Online her influences and how they have affected her literary career, concluding that “all the circumstances of my life conspired to make me a writer--just lucky, I guess.”
Brenner was born Barbara Lawrence on June 26, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York, to Robert Lawrence (a real estate broker) and Marguerite (Furboter) Johnes. Tragically, her mother died when Brenner was just a year old, and, according to Brenner, this has been a large influence on her career, with Contemporary Authors Online showing how this has added a certain level of “sensitivity” to her work. She also defines Brooklyn as a place which gave much “color” to her work, and where her father’s ambitions for her helped to develop Brenner’s intellectual curiosity.
Brenner attended Seton Hall College (now University) and Rutgers University from 1942-46, whilst also working as a copy editor at Prudential Insurance Co. from 1942 – 46. Her freelance work as an artist’s agent prepared her for a literary life, as after the birth of her two children she began work on her first book Somebody’s Slippers, Somebody’s Shoes, published in 1957. She followed this book with an educational picture book entitled Barto Takes the Subway, designed to improve reading comprehension and sight vocabulary.
Her artistic development continued when she began to collaborate with her husband, illustrator Fred Brenner, on The Flying Patchwork Quilt. Her next book, On the Frontier with Mr. Audubon, was selected by School Library Journal as “The Best of the Best” among children’s books published over 26 seasons. In a review of On the Frontier with Mr. Audubon, Paul Showers wrote in the New York Times Book Review that “Brenner again demonstrates her gift for invention and respect for facts . . . [it is] written in the polite but colloquial language of the frontier sketching in Audubon’s biographical background and recording events of the journey as they might have been observed by a serious, very perceptive 13- year-old.” One of her best-selling titles was Wagon Wheels (published in 1978), which deals with the trials and tribulations of a close-knit African American family. This true to life story is “exciting and realistic” according to Gisela Jernigan (writing in the children literature journal Booklist), and was named a 1978 American Library Association Notable Book.
Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s Brenner continued to publish, many of her works being influenced by the careers and interests of her sons. Speaking to Contemporary Authors Online Brenner explains that as their sons are both grown, and their respective careers as a “biologist . . . and musician” have both had an influence on her writing (i.e. Dinosaurium 1993). In 1986, Brenner was honored with the Pennsylvania School Librarians’ Association’s Outstanding Pennsylvania Author Award. Brenner’s most celebrated book is a collection entitled Voices: Poetry and Art from around the World, for which she was chief editor. This book received an ALA Notable Book for Children mention and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults award. According to the Horn Book Guide from Spring 2001, “more than three hundred and fifty poems from six continents evoke the specific and the universal” with contributions from both “celebrated and unknown poets, Nobel prize winners, and children” allowing the book to demonstrate Brenner’s skill in celebrating “place” and the “shared feelings” of the people about whom the book is written.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
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January 12, 2024I sure wish I had access to this book, aimed at tweens & families, in print. But I'm glad that I can at least read the archived copy on openlibrary.org. The art is amazing, and the poems are wonderful, and there will be a lot of them.
Already I have to interrupt my reading to come here to say that I esp. love the music of Lillian Morrison's *Green Song* with alliteration, rhyme, rhythm, all just dancing.
For another poem, it helps to know that 'wake robin' is another name for trillium (an early flower of the temperate woodlands).
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Wonderful for all ages, including me, a 'senior citizen.' The art is terrific, the sections are themed, and all three indexes are included. Highly recommended, yes... especially if your library actually has it for you in paper.
Already I have to interrupt my reading to come here to say that I esp. love the music of Lillian Morrison's *Green Song* with alliteration, rhyme, rhythm, all just dancing.
For another poem, it helps to know that 'wake robin' is another name for trillium (an early flower of the temperate woodlands).
---
Wonderful for all ages, including me, a 'senior citizen.' The art is terrific, the sections are themed, and all three indexes are included. Highly recommended, yes... especially if your library actually has it for you in paper.
November 30, 2025
E (age 5) really enjoyed this as a morning basket read-aloud. There are several humorous poems included which she requested frequently.
The watercolor paintings were lovely, and for the most part, so was the choice of poetry; it was fun to read slowly through the seasons as poems corresponded to the changes we saw outdoors.
The last section was less desirable, though, and we skipped several of the verses there, at least for now. Their content was a warning about how humans are destroying the earth; the tone was sort of degrading, and some of the ideas conjured up frightening imagery. Just wasn't something we wanted to utilize.
We believe in good stewardship for sure, but will seek out materials later which hail from a biblical standpoint.
The watercolor paintings were lovely, and for the most part, so was the choice of poetry; it was fun to read slowly through the seasons as poems corresponded to the changes we saw outdoors.
The last section was less desirable, though, and we skipped several of the verses there, at least for now. Their content was a warning about how humans are destroying the earth; the tone was sort of degrading, and some of the ideas conjured up frightening imagery. Just wasn't something we wanted to utilize.
We believe in good stewardship for sure, but will seek out materials later which hail from a biblical standpoint.
September 19, 2025
The Earth Is Painted Green: A Garden of Poems About Our Planet, by Barbara Brenner contains poems about nature written by various different people. It starts off with poems about spring and then transitions into summer, then fall, and finally, winter. I enjoyed this book because the poems and illustrations kept my attention and made me want to keep reading. I would use this book in my classroom to have an example of how poems can be arranged to tell a story.
May 21, 2017
This was a sweet and simple poetry collection that is sure to resonate with environmentalists young and old. A variety of poems and topics are included, along with illustrations on each page. For some reason it took me a long time to get through the book, but it doesn't have to be absorbed in one sitting. The poems stand alone by themselves, or work over a longer period of time.
Want to read
August 13, 2023September 28, 1995
Dearest Alissa,
Happy First Birthday! We hope you enjoy your world as much as we do.
Love and kisses,
Dad and Mom
Return this to Alissa
Dearest Alissa,
Happy First Birthday! We hope you enjoy your world as much as we do.
Love and kisses,
Dad and Mom
Return this to Alissa
February 25, 2018
This is a nice collection of poems about nature.
October 9, 2009
I love this book! It is a collection of poems by various poets, about our planet Earth and the wonder of nature. The watercolor illustrations are an added bonus in making the poems come alive.
December 4, 2009
Lovely, lovely poetry book - my daughter's teacher is using it in class right now.
July 9, 2007
Great poetry book on the world of green.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews