Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves

October 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 2-A lovely seasonal tale to promote kindness and empathy. When Redbird hurts her wing and realizes that she won't be able to fly south, she decides to ask one of the many trees in the forest to shelter her so she can weather the cold. Of the many trees she asks, only the fir, spruce, and juniper are kind enough to offer their branches and berries so that she can survive. When the Frost Queen and Jack Frost visit the forest, they leave all the leaves on those trees in honor of their generosity and dictate that from then on the trees will be known as "Evergreen." The illustrations are drenched in color. Full of natural plants and textures, the foliage is applied on every page with delicate brushstrokes, and each of the trees is given a full canopy of intricately drawn and richly hued leaves. The close-up illustration of the vibrant blue and purple juniper berries with layers of needles below is especially beautiful and pairs wonderfully with the text. The language is dignified and slightly formal, in the spirit of a fable or folktale. One slightly incongruous line states that Redbird is shaken "from her cozy nest in the eaves of the barn," but the pages accompanying the text show the redbird asleep in and shaken from the limbs of a tree, not a barn. A comforting final spread depicts a flock of redbirds perched cozily among the boughs of the fir, spruce, and juniper trees and reinforces the message of empathy and generosity. VERDICT A quiet addition where seasonal tales and fables are in high demand.-Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library, RI

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019
An original pourquoi tale seeks to explain cardinal behavior. This book does double duty, both explaining why coniferous trees remain green in the wintertime and also explaining why cardinals never migrate south. On the day that a little red bird injures her wing, just before the onset of winter, she decides to seek shelter in the branches of a strong tree. Unfortunately, the deciduous trees she encounters are less than inviting. The birch feels too weak, the oak too miserly, and the maple too self-absorbed to offer her any aid. Distraught, Little Redbird is comforted by a fir tree who, along with a blue spruce and a juniper, promises the bird food and shelter. This act of kindness is rewarded by the Frost Queen, who in turn informs her son Jack (who, like her, presents white and human) to never touch the leaves of the trees that helped Little Redbird. The telling adheres closely to the cadences and conventions of most classic folktales. Bold colors and the striking contrast of the red bird within a green tree are on full display, giving each page a true jolt of visual pop. Alas, this beauty is marred by the inexplicable choice to make the bird female. Only male cardinals are red, a fact completely ignored by this otherwise sweet tale. Fables are fine, but why eschew facts? (Picture book. 4-7)

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