Review by Booklist Review
Centuries ago, an apple seed sprouted and grew into a sturdy tree that can still be seen beside Sir Isaac Newton's childhood home. Around 1665, when he returned there as a "question-asking, truth-seeking, math-loving" young man, the sight of an apple falling from the tree inspired his groundbreaking theory of gravitation. Since then the tree has been struck by lightning and toppled, but it survives and continues to bear fruit. Generations of scientists, including Albert Einstein in 1930 and Stephen Hawking in 1987, have visited the Gravity Tree to pay their respects to Newton. Seeds from the tree have been planted and grown into trees around the world to inspire others. Appended to the main text is a section offering further information about the tree as well as about Newton, Einstein, and Hawking. Imamura's digital illustrations portray the natural world and the featured thinkers with energy, focus, and style. Introducing the idea that scientists exploring new ideas also honor earlier trailblazers in their fields, this picture book may resonate with science--minded children.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--This nonfiction picture book tells the story of the tree Isaac Newton observed, which inspired his scientific discovery of universal gravity. After Newton's observations made the tree living history, it became known as the Gravity Tree. People from near and far flocked to the tree just to sit under it, to eat one of its apples. In 1820, a storm threatened to destroy the Gravity Tree, severely splintering it. Luckily, the tree was still alive and new roots formed, allowing the tree to continue to grow. In 1930, Albert Einstein visited the tree on his way to deliver a lecture about his ideas which were built on Newton's discoveries. Physicist Stephen Hawking, whose work studying black holes and gravity hearkens back to Newton, visited the tree in 1987, and in 2010 a sliver of the tree was released aboard the International Space Station. The Gravity Tree continues to thrive and new gravity trees have been created by expert gardeners planting seeds from its apples. In lyrical storytelling, award-winning investigative reporter Redding imparts the message that small, ordinary things can change the world with the aim of inspiring children to recognize that they have the potential to influence the world. Back matter includes information about the Gravity Tree; brief biographies of Newton, Einstein, and Hawking; a bibliography; and a time line. The expressive artwork supports the text and the book's potential to work well as a read-aloud title. VERDICT Where science meets history, inspiration grows; recommended purchase for all collections.--Samantha Lumetta, P.L. of Cincinnati and Hamilton Cty., OH
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Redding gives readers the biography of a tree -- the very tree under which Isaac Newton sat when he began thinking about gravity and motion. Expressive language details its growth: "The tree's tips ballooned with blossoming buds, swarmed by bees until petals fell away to reveal growing apples." When, circa 1665, Newton observes that one of those apples falls straight down, he connects that force with the force that keeps the moon in the sky, a thought process explained in the illustrations rather than in the animated text ("Isaac came up with the answer: gravity! Universal gravity!"). The tree becomes a tourist attraction until lightning strikes around 1820. Still, a living root remained, and as science branched out in many directions, so did the tree; in modern times it inspired such visitors as Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. And, in 2010, almost two hundred years after the lightning storm, scientists took a piece of the tree up to the International Space Station. There it floated, prompting this enthusiastic conclusion: "Nearly 350 years later, Isaac was right!" Rich shading marks the earth tones in the illustrations, with the browns particularly resembling highly polished wood. Appended with brief biographies of Newton, Einstein, and Hawking; a timeline of Newton's life; and a bibliography. (c) Copyright 2023. 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
All about the apple that (contrary to legend) did not hit Isaac Newton's head in the mid-17th century--and what became of the tree from which it fell. The apple may have missed, but the insight into why it fell down instead of, say, up struck the young genius hard enough to revolutionize our understanding of how the physical universe works…and to turn the tree into a destination for generations of pilgrims. As Redding relates with alliterative vim, the tree survived a lightning strike around 1820, though pieces of it were carved into a chair--"a perfect perch for pondering"--and, much later, carried onto the International Space Station. It still produces fruit to this day, sending offspring to grow around the world. In the wake of illustrating Nancy I. Sanders' The Very Oldest Pear Tree (2020), Imamura portrays the tree from first tiny seed to gnarled snag, inspiring visitors from Albert Einstein in 1930 to Stephen Hawking in his wheelchair in 1987. As the centuries pass, racially diverse background characters begin to diversify the mostly White cast…and on the final page, a brown-skinned child stands in for readers with, the author writes, a similar "potential to change the world." (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 77% of actual size.) A sweet windfall of history and inspiration. (biographical notes, bibliography, timeline) (Informational picture book. 7-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
