When tree became a tree

Rob Hodgson

Book - 2025

"Following the success of When Cloud Became a Cloud and When Moon Became the Moon comes Rob Hodgson's next long-form picture book about an apple tree's life cycle. This delightfully fun exploration of trees both informs and entertains, and helps young readers make sense of the world around them. The charming protagonist, Tree, sparsely narrates her story in ten short chapters with text bubbles and vignettes sprinkled in to provide wit, style, and humor. Young audiences will immediately connect to the colorful, whimsical art and welcome a sense of accomplishment in devouring this unexpected yet wholly accessible scientific book"-- Provided by publisher.

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Bookmobile Children's j634.11/Hodgson Due Sep 3, 2025
Children's Room New Shelf j634.11/Hodgson (NEW SHELF) Checked In
Children's Room New Shelf j634.11/Hodgson (NEW SHELF) Due Sep 4, 2025
Subjects
Published
New York : Rise 2025.
Language
English
Main Author
Rob Hodgson (author, illustrator)
Physical Description
64 pages : color illustrations ; 24 cm
Audience
Ages 3-5.
ISBN
9780593886694
  • Chapter 1. Seed
  • Chapter 2. Sprout
  • Chapter 3. Photosynthesis
  • Chapter 4. Tree
  • Chapter 5. Putting Down Roots
  • Chapter 6. Family
  • Chapter 7. Spiring
  • Chapter 8. Summer
  • Chapter 9. Autumn
  • Chapter 10. Winter
  • Chapter 11. The Grand Tree
  • Chapter 12. New Life
Review by Booklist Review

Many books show the life cycle of an apple, but few include such friendly-looking seeds and so much additional information about trees in a broader context. With a "Wheeee!" and a gleeful smile, an apple falls to the ground--and from there, this cheerful presentation explains how the apple's seed "snuggles into the cozy ground," grows from a seedling to a grand tree over the course of 80 years, and changes seasonally, with one of her last apples starting the cycle anew. In addition, one section explains how trees communicate through underground networks; another briefly shows how other species around the world--from weeping willows to baobabs--differ. Despite the overall storytime feel, terms like photosynthesis and mycelia are introduced effectively and defined quickly and simply in the text. Giving the trees, sun, and other natural elements' smiling faces, while keeping the large-font narrative to a sentence or two per page, makes this an especially welcoming but still informative read for emergent young botanists.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Horn Book Review

Hodgson's friendly science lesson introduces readers to the life cycle of an apple tree. Tree's story begins when an apple falls to the ground, eventually allowing Seed to take root and begin to grow. As in When Moon Became a Moon (rev. 7/23), characters (e.g., Tree, Seed, Sun, Cloud, etc.) are depicted with expressive cartoon eyes and smiley mouths, and speech bubbles provide their humorous asides. Twelve short chapters highlight different phases of Tree's growth. Bees, worms, and mushrooms ("I'm a fun guy!") all make appearances. A handful of humans, with differing skin tones, abilities, and ages, are depicted interacting with trees in various settings. Tree's role in the greater ecosystem is also highlighted, along with a connection between the protagonist and various trees that grow in other climates and locations. A consistent color palette and inviting aesthetic carry throughout the book. While the natural elements are anthropomorphized, the book solidly explains scientific concepts in an approachable manner, focusing on both the small and large aspects of a tree's life. Miriam Steinberg-EgethMay/June 2025 p.111 (c) Copyright 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

The life of an apple tree, from tiny seed to proud parent. Following the pattern ofWhen Cloud Became a Cloud (2021) andWhen Moon Became the Moon (2023), Hodgson endows nearly everything in his bright cartoon illustrations, from seeds to sun, with a smiley face. He slips a fair bit of scientific information into the minimal narrative, which follows the growth of a seed that emerges from a decomposed apple ("Hi, I'm Seed!") to a mature tree shedding apples of her own. Along the way, younger readers will gain insight into photosynthesis, learn how flowers turn to fruit as the seasons pass, and discover how roots absorb nutrients, serve as anchors, and, with help from fungal mycelia ("I'm a fun guy!"), communicate with other nearby trees. Though the notion that trees do eventually die goes unmentioned, the octogenarian Tree does drop a branch that provides "cozy homes for critters" until it breaks down to improve the soil. In one mini-chapter, select relatives, from rain forest durian trees to spiky pines, weeping willows, and bulbous baobabs, hint at the diversity of Tree's "big, special family." The human figures who appear in some scenes for scale are likewise diverse. A beneficent view of growth and cycles in nature.(Informational picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.