The Busy Tree

From School Library Journal 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, OH END Product Description Spectacular illustrations rendered in oil paint, and a rhyming text that describes a tree’s activities from its roots to its branches, introduce young readers to the amazing activities that go on in a tree. Acorns nibbled by chipmunks, ants scurrying across a trunk, a spider spinning a web, leaves “breathing out air for all to breathe in”—everything adds up to a “busy tree” for all to “come and see.” About the Author Author Jennifer Ward lives in Edwardsville, Illinois. Her other titles include The Busy Tree, There Was An Old Monkey Who Swallowed a Frog, and There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea. Lisa Falkenstern has been a professional illustrator for more than twenty five years. She graduated from Parsons School of Design and has studied at the New York Academy, School of Visual Arts, Art Students League, National Academy of Art and Cooper Union. She has illustrated the books Mermaids, The Busy Tree, My Very Own Pirate Tale, and her new book which she has written and illustrated, A Dragon Moves In.