"What this book is really about -- encouraging you to observe and explore, to record your thoughts and impressions of all you see in the natural world around you, and also to make connections between the physical and the spiritual... I hope you'll have fun learning about the flora and fauna in your neck of the woods and will enjoy having a pretty place to record what you learn, to review later!"
~from the author's introduction
In this 197 page (journal stops at page 194 though) eco-inspired edition to her journaling series, Flanders offers a place for nature lovers to record their favorite sightings in the natural world. Inspired by watching her children's fascination with the outdoors, as well as her own tomboyish upbringing, Flanders also creates pages for users to write some of their more contemplative musings inspired by their surroundings.
As she did with her How Do I Love Thee? journal, in this nature edition, Flanders includes a full page print of the poem / hymn "All Things Bright and Beautiful" by Cecil F. Alexander.
I liked that this nature-themed journal included activity pages, such tutorials on how to quickly sketch certain animals, how to identify various paw or hoof impressions, how to identify certain types of leaves, etc. There's even one page that prompts the journal user to craft their own poem about flowers. I also liked that this journal was not limited to one type of natural setting. The woods were definitely represented but Flanders also provides a whole section solely devoted to coastal environments.
While I do love this series of journals and did still enjoy this one very much, it is not my favorite of the bunch. Flanders is skilled on how to place graphics and inspiring words just so for the perfect combination, and while this journal did still offer a nice selection of adorable vintage illustrations, I did find this collection not as eye-catching, compared to what has been offered in previous journals in this series. In fact, some of the artwork in this journal appeared a little more muddled, less crisp. Also, the selections for the inspirational words used in this collection did not move me quite as much as Flander's previous journals.
All Things Bright & Beautiful is still very much a solid, lovely edition to this series though! I would still very much recommend it as a gift idea for any of your big religious holidays or events such as Easter, Christmas, or baptism / communion gifts. It would also make a great gift for anyone who just generally loves the outdoors!
A selection of some of my favorite illustrations / quotes from this journal's pages:
FTC Disclaimer: The author, Jennifer Flanders, kindly provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions above are entirely my own.
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