Review by Booklist Review
In a colorfully illustrated book, Preus introduces 14 notable trees. Some are celebrated for their longevity (Methuselah, a bristlecone pine dating back around 4,800 years); height (Hyperion, a coast redwood); or circumference (the Tule Tree, a Montezuma cypress). Other trees are honored for their cultural, spiritual, or historical associations, such as the Major Oak in England's Sherwood Forest, the revered Bodhi of Sri Lanka, or Australia's Baobab Prison Tree. Each double-page spread introduces a tree and explains its significance in a few paragraphs of very readable information. Though the picture of pioneers posting messages on the trunk of Post Office Tree does not reflect the text, Gibbon's acrylic-ink, colored-pencil, and watercolor artwork creates an inviting look throughout the book. Appended are notes on the species represented, advice on how to help trees, a bibliography combining books for adults and children, and a list of websites.--Phelan, Caroly. Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This playful celebration of trees offers profiles of 14 specimens. A sequoia known as General Sherman that stands in California's Sequoia National Park weighs close to three million pounds, or "as much as 14 Argentinosauruses, 10 blue whales, or three 747 jets." The Tule Tree, in Mexico, is recognized for gnarled contortions in its bark that "give the appearance of creatures hiding inside," while the Boab Prison Tree in Derby, Australia, carries a dark history-at the turn of the century, Aboriginal prisoners were chained there. Gibbon's muted mixed-media illustrations set each tree in context, as soft-featured people from across the centuries reflect the trees' storied histories. A joyful and respectful homage to trees that have stood the test of time. Ages 5-8. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Preus introduces 14 trees famous in history or legend. Some are renowned for their age, height, girth, or other physical characteristics. For example, Methuselah, a bristlecone pine in California, is more than 4000 years old, while the Tule Tree in Mexico measures 177 feet around. Others are associated with historic events such as the Tree of One Hundred Horses, which sheltered the Queen of Aragon and her soldiers during a rainstorm. The Bodhi tree under which the Buddha gained enlightenment and the Major Oak, where Robin Hood and his men met in Sherwood Forest, also appear. The newest trees are those grown from seeds and taken to the moon on Apollo 14 in 1971. Each featured specimen receives a spread with several paragraphs of text plus Gibbon's charming colored pencil and watercolor illustrations. Readers who want to learn more about one or more of the tree varieties can find additional information at the book's end. Preus also suggests ways to help nurture and preserve trees. The book might be paired with titles such as Jason Chin's Redwoods (Roaring Brook, 2009) or Barbara Bash's Tree of Life (Sierra Club, 1989). It can also introduce the importance of the topic, perhaps in connection with observances such as Arbor Day or Earth Day.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Despite the goofy title, this picture book gallery of impressive trees, illustrated in friendly folk-art style, offers substantive information on what makes each specimen unique. There are the world-record holders -- oldest, tallest, heaviest, widest -- as well as fascinating oddities such as France's Chapel Oak, the hollow trunk of which was converted into a two-story chapel. Preus is good at providing context, as when she conveys the longevity of "Methuselah," a pine in California, in terms of famous historic events. ("The tree's 4,200th birthday had come and gone before Columbus set foot in the New World.") A number of the trees have cultural significance, from the Bodhi Tree in Sri Lanka, under which Buddha reportedly achieved enlightenment, to the Post Office Tree in Kansas, once used as a message board by travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. Gibbon's mixed-media paintings bustle with life (birds and squirrels in the high branches) and people (tourists, worshippers, soldiers, etc.) in the shade. The back matter appends somewhat superfluous additional facts about the trees (information about how trees are dated would have been more helpful) and lists useful conservation tips. christine m. heppermann (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From "Methuselah," a 4,800-year-old bristlecone pine, to young trees grown from seeds taken to the moon, Preus introduces 14 trees so exceptional for their age, size or some historic happening that they have acquired names and fame. These include abodhitree in Sri Lanka grown from a branch from a tree under which Buddha sat, an oak in England where Robin Hood met with his band, a Balm-of-Gilead poplar in New York where men left their scythes when they went off to war and a baobab prison tree in Australia. The author has found engaging stories about these trees, but the intended early-elementary audience is not likely to have the historical background to make meaning of them. Even more unfortunately, the illustrations are suggestive rather than representative and, in some places, even confusing. These pencil, ink and watercolor paintings whimsically celebrate real and imagined life in and around the trees. But the "Methuselah" page includes an irrelevant and inaccurate sketch of the solar system; "General Sherman," a tree whose girth can't be spanned by 12 people with arms outstretched, is pictured with 13 people standing on one side; and an afterword section on oaks is illustrated with conifer needles and cones. One concluding section describes more about these tree species; a second offers suggestions for helping trees thrive. (bibliography, websites)(Informational picture book. 7-10)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
