It's time to shoutout another book birthday! This one also fits wonderfully to this time of year as it heads out into nature, and in this case, takes a look at the life of a tree. At least, I'm assuming that these pages will explore all of the purposes or tasks that a single oak tree fulfills. I'm hoping for inviting illustrations and a hint of the joy of life. Oh, and cute creatures, too!
Let's open this one up and see what it holds!
JUST ONE OAK
by Maria Gianferrari
Illustrated by Diana Sudyka
Beach Lane Books
Picture Book
48 pages
ages 4 to 8
Explore an oak tree, from its leafy crown to its roots underground, and learn all the amazing ways it supports the animals, plants, and habitat where it lives in this surprising and enlightening nonfiction picture book companion to the award-winning Fungi Grow.
An oak tree is so much more than meets the eye. From tiny fungi to mighty mammals, this amazing tree contains a whole world.
For insects and birds, the oak’s leaves, branches, and bark are a home. For bears and squirrels, the thousands of acorns the oak produces are a nutritious superfood. Owls, deer, foxes, and many more creatures are drawn to the rich and healthy environment an oak creates. Because of a single oak tree, its many neighbors flourish.
An oak tree is so much more than meets the eye. From tiny fungi to mighty mammals, this amazing tree contains a whole world.
For insects and birds, the oak’s leaves, branches, and bark are a home. For bears and squirrels, the thousands of acorns the oak produces are a nutritious superfood. Owls, deer, foxes, and many more creatures are drawn to the rich and healthy environment an oak creates. Because of a single oak tree, its many neighbors flourish.
MY TIDBITS
The wonders of nature meet facts and animal recognition to form a well-balanced read.
These pages look at the life surrounding one oak tree with the broad variety of life surrounding it, its life-cycle, and more. Each two-page spread holds a scene created in watercolor, which showcases an oak tree, but more importantly, the creatures which are connected with it. From birds to worms to frogs and more, the massive variety is showcased in a lightly playful and, yet, identifiable way. For example, there are cicada nymphs nestled underground near the roots or a red fox stands patiently under the limbs, which provide shade. It's not only about season and the growth cycle (although both are covered to a certain extent) but goes beyond to show how busy and intertwined nature can be.
The main text is written in flowing rhyme, which describes the portrayed scene and situation in a simple and enjoyable way. Combined with the lovely illustrations, this makes it an nice read-aloud for younger groups. In each illustrations, listeners/readers can discover various creatures, and the name for these is written in much smaller font. At the bottom, right corner of the spread is a short paragraph, which explains certain facts surrounding the scene with much more detail. This is thought for the older reader/adult and can be read directly to older listeners or used when explaining the information to younger ones. These information paragraphs go into everything from how many acorns an oak produces over its life to the formation of roots systems and more. This holds interesting tidbits and is sure to bring new information to even little tree experts.
But this isn't the end of the knowledge goodness as the last pages dive into more explanations (such as oak leaf shapes), how to sprout oak saplings, the tree's life cycle, and a list of other places to find more information. So, this can easily be used during an entire theme surrounding trees, nature, ecosystems, and the such.
It's a rich read, which not only works as an enjoyable, short read-aloud but can expand into so much more.
And here they are...
Maria Gianferrari is a picture book reader/writer, tea-drinker, dog-lover, and birdwatcher. Maria writes books that honor our bonds with creatures both domestic and wild and that celebrate the natural world around us, including Fungi Grow and Just One Oak, illustrated by Diana Sudyka; Ice Cycle: Poems about the Life of Ice, illustrated by Jieting Chen; Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness, illustrated by Pete Oswald; Bobcat Prowling, illustrated by Bagram Ibatouilline; and Be a Tree!, illustrated by Felicita Sala. She lives with her family in Massachusetts in a house encircled by trees. To learn more about Maria, visit her website: MariaGianferrari.com.
Diana Sudyka is a Chicago-based illustrator. Early on, she created screen-printed gig posters for musicians but currently her illustration work focuses on young adult, middle grade, and children’s books. She has illustrated several volumes of the award-winning book series The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart and Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley, as well as the picture books Would You Come Too? by Liz Garton Scanlon, Sometimes Rain by Meg Fleming, What Miss Mitchell Saw by Hayley Barrett, How to Find a Bird by Jennifer Ward, and Fungi Grow and Just One Oak by Maria Gianferrari. Visit her at DianaSudyka.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment