Trout Are Made of Trees

February 18, 2008
Returning to a familiar subject, Sayre (Trout, Trout, Trout
) brings her ichthyological knowledge to bear in this primer on river ecology. “In fall, trees let go of leaves,/ which swirl and twirl/ and slip into streams.” Alliterative verse zips to the point as it describes the tiny aquatic creatures that eat the leaves and begin a consumption cycle (“Crane flies, caddisflies,/ shrimp, and stoneflies shred leaves./ Rip and snip!”). Studying this food chain, in Endle's (Bella and the Bunny
) interpretation, are a boy and girl camping streamside with their dads. Mixed-media collages in autumnal hues show the pair gathering river samples and putting their large, lemon-shaped faces close to the water's edge. Endle's work is highly detailed and carefully patterned when depicting the fish and water life, but bland and static when she includes the humans. Endnotes discuss the life cycle of trout (the story seems to take a mini-detour for a three-spread overview of the topic). Tips for young environmentalists are also included. Ages 4-7.