Trees

by Tony Johnston, Tiffany Bozic (Illustrator)

Overview

Explore a fantastical forest in this exquisite and lyrical picture book that celebrates all trees, from maple to elm to ginkgo to magnolia to redwood—written by award-winning author Tony Johnston.

Part poetry, part celebration of nature, each page of this stunning book brings readers deeper into the majestic world of trees. Old trees. Trees with shiny leaves shimmering after rain. And at night, trees holding out their limbs for the stars. Debut illustrator Tiffany Bozic created her striking artwork by painting directly on tree bark and the authenticity shines through in this meditative work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781534475182
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
Publication date:	11/02/2021
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD360L (what's this?)
File size:	68 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tony Johnston is the award-winning author of more than 100 beloved children’s books. She lives with her family in San Marino, California, where she grew up.

Tiffany Bozic is a California artist whose work has been described as John James Audubon on acid. Her work evokes the tradition of tightly rendered nature illustration, which she explodes with playful colors and surreal sensibilities. With her ornithologist husband and school-aged daughter, Bozic spends significant time in wild places. She is the illustrator of picture books Trees and Brave Baby Hummingbird.

Editorial Reviews

11/25/2022

PreS-Gr 3—Part poetry, part celebration of nature, each page of this stunning book brings readers deeper into the majestic world of trees. VERDICT This updated reissue taps into a topic that has become even more timely since it was first published.—Kimberly Olson Fakih

School Library Journal

2021-08-18
The artwork is the star of this poetic tribute to trees.

Lush paintings, dense with color, texture, and light, illustrate a simple poem extolling trees. Each spread illuminates a short verse centering on a single idea, such as, “Trees love sky” (a single maple rises into the sky); “Trees love clouds” (viewers look directly up through a redwood canopy to clouds above); “Some trees bloom” (butterflies alight on apple blossoms); or “Some trees are old” (a gnarled bristlecone pine stands sentinel on a ledge). Bozic uses acrylic paints directly on wooden panels, and the wood grains that show through give each illustration added dimension and texture, especially when the paint is thin or absent entirely. The effect is enchanting, and the intricately detailed illustrations will catch the attention of sophisticated readers. However, the masterful technique serves Johnston’s simple text (suitable for very young children) at face value, missing the opportunity to create a rich dialogue between poem and art. Still, the book is a visual wonder. Each page is independent of the others with no narrative, though the characteristics of trees that are highlighted move gently and logically from the natural world to the human interaction within it. Backmatter includes the names of all the trees depicted as well as a list of conservation organizations and further reading. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Poetry aside, it’s these beautiful paintings that will inspire a love of trees. (author's note, illustrator's note) (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews