Winter Trees

October 1, 2008
K-Gr 2-This book looks at the subtle charms of trees in winter. On a walk through a forest, a boy observes the branches, shapes, and various barks. He and his dog make snow angels, watch animals quietly eating, and tap a maple tree for syrup. The style of this book, both in text and pictures, is as quiet as its subject. In a simple poetic form, seven trees are described: sugar maple, American beech, paper birch, yellow poplar, bur oak, Eastern hemlock, and white spruce. Readers get a sense of what they look like from a distance ("the egg shape of the maple tree/the taller oval of the beech]" and up close ("the peeling bark of paper birch/feeds hungry hares that eat their fill"). Evans's intriguing illustrations mix prints, watercolor, and collage, and are tweaked with digital enhancement. The lines are thick but supple, and the boy's red jacket and golden dog enliven the soft colors of the winter landscape. This title won't jump off the shelves, but it will be appreciated by nature lovers and primary classrooms studying trees and seasonal scenery."Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2008
Alone in the snowy woods with his dog, a boy discovers the wonder of winter trees, one at a time, ina big, quiet space. On every double-page spread, four lines of simple verse and bright linoleum block printsdecorated withwatercolor and collage capture the stark outlines and the details of what hesees, hears, and touches (Crunch! Our footsteps make the only sound).The botanical facts are part of the wonder (Trees that once had leaves are bare); he looks closely at six different trees, appreciating the bur oaks massive, intertwininglimbs;a bird nesting in the trunk of the paper birch; the sharp needles (Ouch!) of the white spruce; and more. The blend of play, science, poetry, and art is beautiful; and notes at the back provide more facts about each tree.Robert Frosts Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Eveningwill makea lovely read-aloud connection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)