‘Soft rains and the smell of the ground’
In a pair of picture books for kids, nature is celebrated for its wondrous complexity and vital significance. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews I Am Connected, by Kung Jaadee (illustrated by Carla Joseph) (Victoria: Medicine Wheel Publishing, 2025) $22.99 / 9781778540639 and When a Tree Falls: Nurse Logs and Their Incredible Forest Power, by Kristen Pendreigh (illustrated by Elke Boschinger) (San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2025) $28.99 / 9781797218670