Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
This Tree, 1, 2, 3
Illustrator: Sarah Snow
Board Book
For ages 3 to 5
Albert Whitman, 2011 ISBN: 978-0807578919
There is a tall tree behind Oak Lane School and it has a story to tell. The children like to gather close around the tree to listen to what it has to say.
The tree tells us about a single owl that waits in the trees branches for the moon. Not far from where the owl perches there are two spiders that have created webs. The branches also serve as a playground for three rambunctious squirrels, and some robins are raising their chicks in a nest that rests on a branch.
Other animals, such as caterpillars and ants, use the tree as a highway and a source of food. Crickets and flies move among the leaves, and down by the ground ladybugs climb up the trunk. Down by the tree’s roots worms dig tunnels. It would seem that this tree provides a home for creatures of all kinds.
This simple board book combines wonderful illustrations with a simple narrative to give children a sense of how important trees are in our world. In addition, a learning-to-count- component is incorporated into the story to give children something else to explore and learn.
