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.

April 1, 2008
K-Gr 3-A seemingly impossible premise, "Trout are made of trees," is at the heart of this explanation of the life cycle of a trout. A boy and girl, one white, one black, are exploring the stream and its inhabitants with their parents. In clear sentences, young readers follow autumn leaves as they fall from a tree into the water, are softened by algae and eaten by other creatures, which are then consumed by the trout. A more detailed explanation is included at the end of the book. Attractive collage illustrations in natural colors fill the spreads and help to explain the text. This unique introduction to how changes in nature create the food web illustrates how the whole world is interconnected."Christine Markley, Washington Elementary School, Barto, PA"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2008
Aveteran science-book writer introducestheidea of the food chain in thisattractive picture book.Sayreunfurls theprocess behind the intriguing title in a very simple text, explaining how leaves that fall from trees into a streamdecompose to become food for aquatic creatures, which are eaten by trout, which eventually become a picnic meal for a man and three inquisitivechildrenwho haveobserved the whole process and recordedfindingsin science notebooks.Athough the time frame and Sayres reference to bears at the close of the book (Trout are made of trees, / So are the bears)are likely to require further explanation, kids will still get a sense of the interconnectedness of nature.Endles collages are exceptional. Her minimalist figures (each with a similar round, smooth faceand tiny dot eyes) are juxtaposedvery effectivelyagainst crisp yet intricate, layeredbackgroundsof painted-and- patterned cut-papers. Nature remains the focus of each spread, but people appear in most, investigating whats happeningand enjoying every discovery they make.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)