Sky Tree: Seeing Science Through Art - Hardcover

Locker, Thomas

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060248831 ISBN 13: 9780060248833

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1995

Synopsis

A tree stands on a hill by a river. As the sky changes, so does the tree, its branches filling with clouds, stars, snow, birds, mists, and the golden spring sun. One tree can mean many things.

Thomas Locker's lyrical text records the changes in the tree's world just as simply as a child might observe them, and his magnificent paintings crystallize the natural phenomena that embellish the tree on each page. Questions at the bottom of each page lead to a unique discussion in the back of the book, where art and science are intertwined, and further depth is added to the wonder of Sky Tree.

About this title

About the Author:

Thomas Locker is a renowned author and artist who has earned several distinctions for his children's books, including the Parent's Choice Award for Illustration, and the New York Times Best Illustrated Books of the Year. Candace Christiansen is a teacher of chemistry and mathematics at a school in Columbia County, NY. She is also the author of three children's books. They live in Stuyvesant, NY.

From Booklist:

Ages 6^-8, older for the art. It's rare that a book so obviously meant to serve more than one purpose manages the task with such polish. This collaboration speaks with a graceful simplicity that not only firmly fixes the relationship between art and science, but also subtly draws children into the miracles of nature itself. Elegant yet unpretentious oils depict a solitary tree, standing at river's edge and wrapped round by an expansive sky, as it's altered by the cycle of the seasons and the rising and setting of the sun. The tranquil mood of the artwork carries over into the main text, boxed in a background of changing sky, which provides the necessary context for the paintings. Beneath the main text are questions challenging children to explore the feelings the artwork inspires. This is the weakest part of the book, seeming more intended for grown-up facilitators--art and science teachers, Picture Ladies--than children themselves, as is the case with a follow-up section, "Connecting Art and Science in Sky Tree." Still, this is unquestionably a fascinating, even glorious celebration of nature that will stir both children and adults to a finer appreciation of a wondrous, surprising world that's right within their grasp. Stephanie Zvirin

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0060248831
• ISBN 13: 9780060248833
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Locker Thomas