The Things That I LOVE about TREES - Hardcover

Butterworth, Chris

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0763695696 ISBN 13: 9780763695699

Publisher: Candlewick, 2018

Synopsis

In an exuberant text accompanied by gorgeous, windswept illustrations, two esteemed picture-book creators celebrate the mighty tree.

Journey through the seasons and discover how much there is to love about trees! From brand-new buds in spring to the sound of the wind whooshing through the leaves in summer, from the fall colors to the feel of winter’s rough bark and the promise of spring returning again — no matter what time of year, there’s always something extraordinary to notice about the trees around your neighborhood. Chris Butterworth’s text, gently sprinkled with facts, captures the wonder of a child as Charlotte Voake’s busy, buoyant artwork conveys how something as simple and common as a tree can feel like magic taking root around you.

About this title

About the Author

Chris Butterworth is the author of Sea Horse, illustrated by John Lawrence; See What a Seal Can Do, illustrated by Kate Nelms; and How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? and the other titles in the Exploring the Everyday series, illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti. She lives in Cornwall, England.

Charlotte Voake is the author-illustrator of Ginger, which was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal; Ginger Finds a Home; and Hello Twins, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year. She is also the illustrator of Charlotte Zolotow’s Say It!, Steve Voake’s Insect Detective, and Vivian French’s Caterpillar, Caterpillar. Charlotte Voake lives in Surrey, England.

Reviews

K-Gr 2—An ode to the majesty of trees, gently narrated with a sense of childlike wonder. Opening with the joyful declaration "It's spring!" the book guides readers through the four seasons and the changes that trees undergo throughout the year. There are moments when Butterworth's similes are just right: "Summer trees are shady and so full of leaves that when the wind blows, they swish like the sea." Text in a smaller font expands on information hinted at in the main narrative; for instance, how trees do the majority of their growing in early summer. Voake's illustrations, done in watercolor and ink, are well matched with Butterworth's meditative narrative. The artwork loosely follows a young child after she races out of her apartment to investigate the flora and fauna around her, sometimes accompanied by friends and other times alone with just a bird with a "sweet sticky plum." Twice in the illustrations a teepeelike structure made out of branches and twigs is shown. In the second instance, the text refers to it as a "hideout" that children can build. The stereotypes tied to this kind of imagery, particularly in the United States, cannot be ignored or dismissed and their inclusion is most disappointing. In addition, a suggestion to "use a fallen tree as a giant climbing frame" is unwise, considering the relative age of the intended audience. VERDICT For readers curious about changes in nature, consider instead April Pulley Sayre's Best in Snow and Full of Fall.—Della Farrell, School Library Journal

Edition details

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0763695696
• ISBN 13: 9780763695699
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Voake Charlotte
• Number of pages: 32