Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 1-3. In her latest effort, Ehlert features a child narrating the events of buying, planting, and caring for a sugar maple tree. Richly illustrated, primarily in the bright reds and yellows of autumn, the book, nevertheless, follows the life cycle of the tree throughout all four seasons, focusing on the tree's growth. The large black lettering and realia collage will appeal to the very young, but the labels for objects (maple tree roots, garden glove, bud, etc.) and tags giving the sugar maple's correct botanical name will challenge older readers. The artist carefully plots out how one transports a tree from forest to nursery to home, but the heart of the book is the care of the tree and the animals it houses--squirrel, black-capped chickadee, downy woodpecker. Always comparing the age of the tree and the age of the child, Ehlert's reverential tone reflects her awe of the natural world. She forces the reader to look at the tree closely--only the arms and hands of the parent and child are ever visible. Ehlert concludes with more detailed information about leaves, buds, roots and sap, seeds, bark, and tree flowers as well as about selecting the right tree, preparing the tree site, planting the tree, wrapping, and staking. And the dust jacket's back flap tells how to make a bird treat. Although cataloged as fiction, this will best serve as a glorious contribution on nonfiction shelves. ~--Kathryn LaBarbera
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ehlert ( Color Zoo ) uses a variety of materials--including paper, ribbons and paints--to depict the beginning of a sugar maple's life. Some time after seeds fall from a tree in the woods, nursery workers collect the slender sprouts; years later the tree is sold to a customer (the young first-person narrator of the book), taken home and carefully planted. Once again Ehlert provides a visual bounty: her pages are awash in the riotous reds and golds of autumn and the fresh, vibrant greens of new growth. There is bounteous information, too: in addition to the tree itself she includes several varieties of birds and many of the objects associated with gardening. An appendix provides further details on the biology and upkeep of trees. Less successful is the story line linking the tree to the narrator; the child remains an unseen abstraction whose utterances (``I love my tree'') appear stiff and a bit forced. Ages 4-8. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3-- This very striking book examines the life of a sugar maple tree from the point of view of a young child. Each spread is a visual masterpiece; Ehlert has added elements of collage and watercolored paper that lend sophistication and diversity to her ever-evolving style. Preschoolers will delight in naming objects found on each double-page spread, newly independent readers will appreciate the oversized type, and slightly older children will make use of the appendix explaining the various functions and parts of a tree, along with tips on selecting and planting one. Although the book is absolutely stunning, text and illustrations in several instances are not a perfect union. Youngsters may question the ``I'' in the opening narration, or wonder why seeds covered with snow are mentioned but not depicted. The cover spread is gorgeous, yet the title is not particularly apt or telling. Still, both public and school libraries will find this book popular and valuable, especially when used along with Janice Udry's A Tree Is Nice (HarperCollins, 1956) or Alvin Tresselt's The Dead Tree (Parents Magazine Pr., 1972; o.p.). --Eve Larkin, Chicago Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In a quiet, first-person narrative, a young child details the life cycle of a sugar maple tree. The book brims with information, and the collages are dramatic and eye catching. An imaginatively designed, well-conceived piece of bookmaking that will attract the attention of children - who never knew trees could be so interesting. From HORN BOOK 1991, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A simple narrative celebrating a child's pleasure in a sugar maple--its prepurchase history, its changing appearance during the year, planting, growth--is extended with excellent notes on the tree's parts as well as lucid instructions for planting and caring for it. In her handsome collages, Ehlert blends bold graphics, vibrant colors, and laudably precise details (e.g., of maple flowers and roots). An outstanding example of early nonfiction that is not only visually striking but also informative and scrupulously accurate. (Picture book. 4-8)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
