In the past year, no less than three picture books highlighting the life and career of poet and nature enthusiast Mary Oliver have been released. In honor of Earth Day and National Poetry Month, we spoke with the creators about adapting the poet’s work for children and why her words about the beauty of nature ring true.

Woods & Words: The Story of Poet Mary Oliver by Sara Holly Ackerman, illustrated by Naoko Stoop (Beach Lane, 2025); Mary Oliver, Holding on to Wonder by Erin Frankel, illustrated by Jasu Hu (Calkins Creek, 2025); and most recently, Goldfinches, adapting the poem by Oliver and illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Viking, Mar.), all introduce young readers to the poet, whose appreciation for nature—shared throughout her lifetime’s work—inspired many to stop and smell the real-life roses.

For Ackerman, approaching a picture book biography about Oliver was a “tricky” endeavor, one that made her question why the youngest readers needed to be introduced to her poetry. Ackerman found that Oliver’s ability to stick to her talents despite criticism was an important message to show children. “Mary Oliver wrote about what she was moved to write about, and that was trees and birds and insects. She wrote what she liked in a way that that she wanted to, even when critics said her writing was too plain, or that she overused the word beautiful. And I think that’s a powerful thing to children who are learning how to write.”

In Woods & Words, a Stonewall Children’s Literature Award Honor Book, Ackerman takes a look at a young Oliver, whose time spent outdoors inspired her to begin writing and led her down the path to her long illustrious career. But learning about Oliver proved to be more of a challenge than Ackerman had anticipated.

“She was a very private person,” Ackerman said of the difficulty of uncovering more intimate details of the poet’s life. “The research was challenging. She gave us only a few interviews. I contacted the colleges that she went to and they had some alumni files that they shared with me. I was able to locate a copy of her high school yearbook. I found the deed to her childhood home. It was a little bit like a puzzle.”

Ultimately, the final picture showcased Oliver’s lifelong passion for writing, and how the attention she paid to her craft was an act of care. “The more we pay attention, which is a thing that’s in such short supply these days, the more we notice and the more we appreciate,” Ackerman said. “And in Oliver’s case, she was mainly talking about the natural world. But I think there is such a lesson in paying attention as writers and just as people in the world.”

Erin Frankel’s picture book Mary Oliver, Holding on to Wonder similarly homed in on Oliver’s penchant for noticing, and how her observations allowed for a wider appreciation of the world around her. In considering crafting a picture book about Oliver, a question that guided Frankel was, “What would happen if readers didn’t know about this person?”

Frankel added, “For Mary Oliver, I knew that I needed to write a picture book that would hopefully speak to young and old readers. I didn’t put an age cap on it when I was writing the story, but I felt strongly that it would speak to young readers. Because I feel that, as Mary said often, the world offers itself to our imagination.”

Writing about Oliver for children felt fitting to Frankel, as having a sense of wonder is foundational to childhood. “I believe that in childhood, we’re very connected to curiosity and imagination,” she said. “I felt pretty certain that as young readers walked through this path of wondering with Mary, they would relate.”

Frankel wanted to embody what she believed drew readers across the globe to the writer, which was her ability to pay attention and remain curious, along with “her humility and her excitement in doing the work that she loved so much.”

She added, “I love the empathy that Mary Oliver brings to us through that deep attention that she gave, in her case, mostly to the natural world. I believe that empathy really should be at the heart of all our endeavors. It truly makes the world a better place.”

Goldfinches takes one of Oliver’s original poems and expands it further with the illustrations of Melissa Sweet. Oliver’s poem homes in on the traits and habits of goldfinches, showcasing their beauty and resilience. This book is the first of a trio of Mary Oliver picture books from Sweet, with the next installment due out in 2027, also from Viking.

“I’ve been enamored with Mary Oliver for many years, and from the start I could see her poems as illustrated books,” Sweet said of the opportunity to provide original art for Oliver’s words.

The picture book utilizes mixed media artwork, ranging from vintage botanicals and old papers and watercolor paper for collages. The most challenging part of the process was remaining “loose and interpretive,” which Sweet said “took countless sketches to get right.”

Goldfinches features a bright and bold palette, inspired by Oliver’s lush descriptions.

“From the first reading I was struck by how Oliver described colors: the ‘buttery gold’ of the goldfinches, the ‘brass heat’ of summer, and the ‘coins of reddish fire’ for the thistles,” Sweet said. “I could hardly wait to paint with that palette.”

Goldfinches now holds a dear part of Sweet’s heart, as the illustrator notes that she read the poem multiple times a day for more than a year. A birder herself, she appreciates Oliver’s “patience and deep focus to be so accurate.”

“​​I thought it would make a beautiful book, intertwining Oliver’s observations and story with art and science,” Sweet said. “I’ve worked with this poem for so long, and I hear something new each time I read it.”

Goldfinches by Mary Oliver, illus. by Melissa Sweet. Viking, $18.99; ISBN 978-0-593-69241-7

Mary Oliver, Holding on to Wonder by Erin Frankel, illus. by Jasu Hu. Calkins Creek, $18.99; ISBN 978-1-66268-082-3

Woods & Words: The Story of Poet Mary Oliver by Sara Holly Ackerman, illus. by Naoko Stoop. Beach Lane, $19.99; ISBN 978-1-66592-185-5