The Things That I LOVE about TREES

by Chris Butterworth, Charlotte Voake (Illustrator)

Overview

In an exuberant text accompanied by gorgeous, windswept illustrations, two esteemed picture-book creators celebrate the mighty tree.

Journey through the seasons and discover how much there is to love about trees! From brand-new buds in spring to the sound of the wind whooshing through the leaves in summer, from the fall colors to the feel of winter’s rough bark and the promise of spring returning again — no matter what time of year, there’s always something extraordinary to notice about the trees around your neighborhood. Chris Butterworth’s text, gently sprinkled with facts, captures the wonder of a child as Charlotte Voake’s busy, buoyant artwork conveys how something as simple and common as a tree can feel like magic taking root around you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781406382877
Publisher:	Walker Books Ltd
Publication date:	04/04/2019
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.02(w) x 9.53(h) x 0.12(d)

About the Author

Chris Butterworth is the author of Sea Horse, illustrated by John Lawrence; See What a Seal Can Do, illustrated by Kate Nelms; and How Did That Get in My Lunchbox? and the other titles in the Exploring the Everyday series, illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti. She lives in Cornwall, England.

Charlotte Voake is the author-illustrator of Ginger, which was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal; Ginger Finds a Home; and Hello Twins, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year. She is also the illustrator of Charlotte Zolotow’s Say It!, Steve Voake’s Insect Detective, and Vivian French’s Caterpillar, Caterpillar. Charlotte Voake lives in Surrey, England.

Editorial Reviews

2018-02-04
A child celebrates what they love about trees from spring through winter.In the spring, "the thing about trees that I love…is that changes begin." In summer, they "are shady and so full of leaves that when the wind blows, they swish like the sea." This upbeat, child-centered narrative is supplemented by brief, factual statements set in a smaller type. As the child looks at the blossoms on a plum tree, for instance, the small print informs readers that "bees visit the blossoms to collect nectar. Some pollen from each flower brushes onto a visiting bee, which carries it to the next flower." Voake's trees are simply glorious, rendered in her signature style of bold, black ink lines and splashy watercolor. They feel alive, from smooth-barked beeches to massive oaks. However, while their leaves are identified on the attractive endpapers, it will be up to caregivers to guess at most of the types depicted in the story. The narrator is a child with light brown skin (not consistent in hue) and straight, black hair who appears to live in an apartment building. The relationship of this substantial growth of varied trees to that building is unclear, especially as the child and their friends seem to have easy, unmediated access to it: Is it a nearby city park? Is the apartment building in a wooded area?Lovely but incomplete, both in information provided and in narrative. (index, note) (Informational picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews