Busy Tree
PreSchool-Grade 2—In rhyming couplets, an old oak introduces children to the wildlife that lives and feeds in and around it ("I'm a tree, a busy tree.../come and see"). In its branches and on its trunk are ants, a spider on a web, a downy woodpecker, an owl, squirrels, baby robins in a nest, a moth's cocoon—even children on a swing—while chipmunks and a tiny mole live and eat beneath. The large oak describes its roots ("winding and long;/they anchor and feed me and help me grow strong"), leaves ("...breathing out air for all to breathe in"), and boughs ("…that creak, bend, and sway/shading the children below as they play"). Handsome realistic oil paintings set on white pages show details of the tree and its denizens in daytime, at sunset, and at night, in fall and in summer. Observant eyes will notice grubs burrowed underground, new leaf buds, and a tiny ladybug nestled on a leaf. The cycle of new life and growth is demonstrated as the youngsters collect and plant an acorn that grows into another large tree "as seasons pass by." Children will enjoy this brief glimpse at a familiar species that reinforces much that they have already observed.—Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OHEND