What’s the first thing anyone hears about poison ivy? “Leaflets three, let it be!” But this engaging nonfiction book will surprise readers who fear the itch–inducing plant. Taking us through the year, the narrative introduces the rabbit who nibbles on the tender leaves after a hard winter, the salamander who shelters in the plant’s cool, umbrella–shadows, the fall insects who wrap themselves in poison–ivy blankets, and the birds who feast on its berries in the starving heart of winter. Poison ivy has always seemed mysterious in its danger, but it too has a purpose and it has something to give.