Little Sap: The Magical Story of a Forest Family

by Jan Hughes, Ruth Hengeveld (Illustrator)

Overview

A little tree, guided by her family circle and forest friends, can’t wait to grow tall and strong

Little Sap can’t wait to grow tall and strong just like her mother and touch the sky. But growing takes time. Luckily for Little Sap, she has her family circle close by and a forest of friends, above and below ground, to help guide her up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647003333
Publisher:	ABRAMS
Publication date:	03/23/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Jan Hughes is a longtime Bay Area editor and writer. This is her first, and hopefully not last, picture book. She lives with her husband and son in San Francisco and is passionate about all things trees. Ruth Hengeveld is an illustrator and fine artist who lives in the Netherlands. She is an avid hiker, camper, and nature lover who spent time among the old-growth redwood forests of Northern California’s Muir Woods in preparation for this book. She is the illustrator of Oh, Bear, also published by Cameron Kids.

What People are Saying About This

Golden Poppy Awards

Long List 2021 Picture Book Honoree

Editorial Reviews

2021-02-09
The titular tree’s biography is the platform for teaching young children little gems of current science about tree behavior and the recently coined wood wide web.

The story is composed of double-page spreads with attractive, detailed watercolor art in hues ranging from deep forest tones to subtle pastels. The lyrical, comforting text is perfect for an adult or intermediate reader to read aloud. From the start, most little ones will empathize with Little Sap in her impatience to grow up. There is a fairy-tale cadence to the text as readers learn that the sapling “lives with her family deep in the heart of a very old forest” and “near Mother Tree, the tallest and wisest tree in the grove.” As each season progresses, both text and art reveal facts about tree growth and the forest interconnections that can seem magical. In spring, Little Sap’s new leaves emerge. Summer first shows the canopy from her vantage point; the next spread shows the fungal network helping to feed her. As summer continues, a procession of snails emphasizes the slow growth of trees; Little Sap’s mother whispers encouraging words that easily parallel advice to children; Mother Tree uses fragrant powers to scare off threatening bugs. After fall and winter, the text gently suggests the passing of many springs, and the final illustration replicates this.

A sweet introduction for blossoming naturalists. (endnotes, glossary, sources) (Informational picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews