The Man Who Lived in a Hollow Tree
Kindergarten-Grade 3—As a carpenter, Harlan Burch plants two trees for every one he cuts. "Somebody else might need a tree someday was Harlan Burch's philosophy." The trees serve another purpose, however, when he realizes that, like the forest animals around him, he can make a home for himself in a hollow tree. The man lived "and lived and lived and lived and lived and lived" in a sycamore, growing younger, not older. He becomes a husband and father, passing away at the age of 142 and leaving his own family tree behind. A comfortable voice enhances the rich, rural narrative. Acrylics on cardboard and linen provide a textured canvas for Shelby's storytelling, and the palette of greens, browns, and blues emphasizes the beauty of the natural environment. Intricate quilt squares, symbolic of Appalachian culture, are integrated into each spread. Loosely based on a traditional family story, this southeastern Kentucky folktale with a gentle message provides a rhythmic read-aloud.—Meg Smith, Cumberland County Public Library, Fayetteville, NCCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.