Stretch to the Sun

September 15, 2018
A small sprout grows for hundreds of years until it becomes a full-grown coast redwood. When spring arrives in a redwood forest after a stormy winter, "POP! A tiny tree, / no bigger than a pinky finger, / sprouts from the stump of" a tree blown down in the previous spread. Calm, steady free verse details how the forest ecosystem works to nurture a redwood into maturity and includes industrial-era destruction and subsequent protection of redwood forests. (Pre-colonial interactions of Indigenous people with the trees go undepicted.) Mixed-media collages are busy and layered, conveying the density and life of a forest. Some minor inconsistencies are frustrating: In one portion of the backmatter the author notes that "the coast redwood community requests that we learn about these ancient champions from afar and allow them to grow undisturbed," while the first bullet point in "HOW CAN YOU HELP?" is "hug a tree at a national or state park!" Readers are never given the context of the term "coast redwoods," including that there are other redwood species. Key vocabulary such as "canopy," "duff," and "reiteration" are explained in the backmatter, while other terms--"debris," "aurora borealis"--go undefined. An author's note, additional paragraphs of explanatory text keyed to the primary narrative, selected bibliography, and further resources make up the backmatter. An earnest seedling, this book never grows to its full potential. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

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October 1, 2018

K-Gr 3-Readers follow the progress of a tiny sprout as it grows to be one of the tallest redwood trees ever discovered. Lyrical and gentle text, with a bit of understated repetition, sets the scene; this work begs to be read aloud. Swan's collage-style artwork is appropriately dominated by a gorgeous spectrum of greens and browns. Many small animals and other details are hiding in the illustrations for children to discover. The story is experienced almost entirely from the tree's perspective, and the tree is not concerned with human names or dates (the more fact-centric text is reserved for the "Facts About Coast Redwoods" back matter, a helpful guide for young kids and adults alike). In the only narrative leap away from the tree, "the president of the United States...signs a law protecting ancient trees." In the back matter, sentences from the main story are revisited and explained. Here kids learn about the Gold Rush, the Save the Redwoods League, frenzied logging activity, the creation of Redwood National Park, and its expansion signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. VERDICT Visually appealing and enjoyable to read aloud, this book is a versatile introduction to redwood trees and forest conservation.-Sara White, Seminole County Public Library, Casselberry, FL

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