Reid, Barbara. 2013. PICTURE A TREE. Chicago:
Albert Whitman & Company. ISBN 9780807565261 [Suggested Grade Levels P-2]
REVIEW
Reid’s beautiful picture book celebrates the beauty
of trees in our lives and displays the various ways trees are depicted in art
and imagination. Children will enjoy picturing a tree as “a pirate ship, a bear
cave, a clubhouse, a friend” and many other roles. The author encourages
readers to picture trees in new and unexpected ways like “a game of dress-up”
or “a wild good-bye party.”
Children will enjoy Reid’s signature Plasticine
artwork. The vivid layers and textures capture the trees’ details and
characters’ expressions well. Bold colors add excitement and enhance each
unique picture. Readers will want to spend time appreciating all the details of
the art. Endpapers of patchwork trees are also a nice touch. They feature
depictions of trees in all seasons and immediately draw readers into the story
and add to the complete design of the book. Children will be inspired to get
their art materials when they read the last line, “picture a tree, what do you
see?”
CONNECTIONS
Use this picture book as a springboard for
art projects and Arbor Day celebrations. Children can create their own pictures
of trees with a variety of materials and write poetry describing their unique
vision of a tree. Collect all the pictures to create a group book for read
alouds or display.
RELATED BOOKS
Similar
tree-themed books for young children:
Ehlert,
Lois. RED LEAF, YELLOW LEAF. ISBN 9780152661977
Krishnaswami,
Uma. OUT OF THE WAY! OUT OF THE WAY! ISBN 9781554981304
Matheson,
Christie. TAP THE MAGIC TREE. ISBN 9780062274458
Muldrow,
Diane. WE PLANTED A TREE. ISBN 9780375864322
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