Publishers Weekly
01/18/2021
Luyken imagines that in every human, there grows a tree: “The tree in me/ is seed and blossom/ bark and stump.” An inclusive group of kids romps through the pages as she elaborates in lyrical verse. One child climbs the lowest branch of a tree; two more perch in its branches as another, below, reaches for an apple. Humans contain shade, sun, and even delicious flavors, the text posits, “part apple,/ part orange-pear-almond-plum,/ part yummm!” In the spreads, a vibrant rose pink, the gold of light, and a shadowy black predominate, focusing on passion and inner truth rather than examining trees themselves. Layers of scumbled paint suggest a reality that can’t be entirely seen or grasped, but movement and energy pour through the spreads as the children play, run, and embrace the very air in this celebration of the way the force of nature courses through every living being. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
A 2022 NCTE Notable Poetry Book
“Luminous and joyous, a fruit pie feast for the eyes as well as the soul.” —New York Times Book Review
"Corinna Luyken moves between the quotidian and the transcendental . . . Her text plays out sparingly from page to page amid lush illustration." —The Wall Street Journal
"The Tree in Me is another of Luyken's revelations. My kids (and I) want to jump into the pages of this book and stay there . . . There is alliteration and simplicity, words that in Luyken's brilliant arrangement are by their turn punchy or soothing, descriptive without being described." —NPR
“Artist and author Corinna Luyken draws on this intimate connection between the sylvan and the human in The Tree in Me—a lyrical meditation on the root of creativity, strength, and connection, with a spirit and sensibility kindred to her earlier emotional intelligence primer in the form of a painted poem.” —Brain Pickings
"A celebration of humankind’s connection to the natural world . . . Luyken captures the splendor of nature in her brushwork and patterns . . . a visual feast." —Kirkus
"Layers of scumbled paint suggest a reality that can’t be entirely seen or grasped, but movement and energy pour through the spreads as the children play, run, and embrace the very air in this celebration of the way the force of nature courses through every living being." —Publishers Weekly
“Luyken's latest offering will bolster her strong reputation as an artist skilled in making tangible the intangible qualities of loving kindness, resilience, and creativity.” —Horn Book
Kirkus Reviews
2020-12-25
A celebration of humankind’s connection to the natural world, as a child joyfully observes how a tree—and all the elements that allow it to flourish—lives on in people.
A brown-skinned child with short, curly black hair plucks an apple from a tree. As it’s eaten, the fruit’s rosy glow is reflected in the youth’s cheeks as the text reads, “The tree in me / is part apple.” And so the poetic text, with the tree refrain starting each stanza, continues. The wise child, with the help of a multiracial cast of friends, plays among glorious trees—climbing, swinging from, and reading on branches; jumping among leaves; and resting in their cool shade. With each spread, the link between the trees and the children strengthens. The soil, sun, and rain that nourish the trees are also parts of the child, as are the bee that pollinates, the squirrel that regenerates, and the worm that decomposes and enriches the ground. The cycles of the tree and of the larger natural world, including humans, are honored. Luyken captures the splendor of nature in her brushwork and patterns. Done in gouache, pencil, and ink, her simplified designs are layered with energy and skillfully composed. Warm pink and yellow hues create a soft radiance, cooled by the middle spreads of predominant blue patterns for rain and sky, which create endless delight for the children. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-14-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)
A visual feast. (Picture book. 4-8)