Picture a Tree – Earth Day, April 22

Picture a Tree

Barbara Reid, Author and Illustrator

Albert Whitman & Company, Fiction, 2013

Suitable for ages: 4-7

Themes: Trees, Imagination, Nature, Seasons

Opening: “There is more than one way to picture a tree. You may see a drawing on the sky. A game of dress-up.”

Summary: Picture a tree–what do you see?  A tree can be so many things: a drawing in the sky, a tunnel hovering over a neighborhood,  a home for  birds and animals, a clubhouse, a pirate ship, a great place to climb and think and shade from the heat.

Why I like this book: This is a perfect Earth Day book because it a celebration of trees, one of our most important resources.  Barbara Reid encourages her young readers to stretch their imaginations to see that a tree can be any thing as they change with each season.  Her text is simple and the artwork is gorgeous and lively. Her unique Plasticine creations are pressed onto an illustration board showing layered textures and color for a special visual effect. Both children and adults will study the expressive detail on the pages of this extraordinary book. And, make sure you check out the gorgeous end papers which are filled with pictures of trees. This is a wonderful book for the classroom and home.

Resources: Have children draw pictures of trees for each season and something special about the season.  Visit Barbara Reid’s website where there is a students/teacher artwork page, a picture a tree memory game, videos and a page devoted to working with Plasticine material.