Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Redwoods
Picture Book
For ages 4 to 8
Roaring Brook Press, 2009 ISBN: 1596434309
A boy is sitting in a subway station when he finds and picks up an abandoned book that is about redwood trees. As he reads, some very extraordinary things start to happen. The boy emerges from the subway station to find himself in the middle of a redwood forest, and as he reads and explores, he discovers that redwoods are truly amazing organisms.
The boy learns, among other things, that redwood trees can grow to be more than 200 feet tall and that animals of all kinds make their homes in and around the trees. The trees are able to survive forest fires, and in the drier summer months redwoods capture moisture from the foggy air around them so that they have enough to drink.
In this wonderfully clever and original picture book, Jason Chin beautifully combines interesting facts about redwoods with highly imaginative illustrations. Children will find the story compelling, and many will wonder if they too might one day be able to take a magical journey to a beautiful Pacific Northwest forest where ancient giants grow.
