Synopsis
Uses text and oil paintings of a solitary tree during the different seasons and the rising and setting of the sun to challenge readers on the relationship between art and science.
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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
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