PPBF: Winter Trees

Today's Perfect Picture Book Friday pick

Winter Trees, poetry in linoleum print collage,
by Carole Gerber and Leslie Evans 

Winter Trees
Written Carole Gerber
Illustrated by Leslie Evans

Charlesbridge, 2008
Grades K-5, 507 words
reading level 3.7


Themes:
Poetry, Nature, Winter


Opening:
Crunch! We walk through fresh new snow that sparkles on the frozen ground.
It's peaceful here among the trees—our footsteps make the only sound.


Synopsis:
Illustrated with linoleum prints, the book follows a child's trip through the woods, identifying seven species of trees as they appear in winter, leafless.
Both the MC and his dog explore the woods using all of their senses to enjoy the beauty of winter even as the text identifies characteristics of the trees found in most Northeastern deciduous forests. Intricate illustrations and lyrical text make distinguishing different types of trees easy--even in the middle of winter, when only bare branches stand like skeletons against the sky.


What I Love:
I love the perspective used in this book. Thinking about how nature looks during a different season makes this story fresh. Leave it to a poet to see things with new eyes. Startlingly beautiful as a walk in the woods, when your heart pounds and you hold your breath because the stillness is so complete. Rhyme is off in one places with a couple nearly-off meters, but still rhythmic and informative, moving the narrative forward. I loved it. Highly recommended!

Selected for the 2008 John Burroughs Young Readers List and as a NSTA/CBC Outstanding Tradebook for 2009.


Bonus: 


Thanks to Stacey of GluedToMyCrafts
for this crafty painted tree

1. Obviously, the best activity would be to use this book as a guide and see how many of the trees in your neighborhood match the trees in the book. If you don't live near a deciduous forest, use your senses to take note of the trees which grow in your area. I recently reviewed Welcome to New Zealand, where I posted links for starting a nature journal along with the suggestions mentioned in the book.


2. Sue blogs about ideas to look for and record in your nature notebook every "Wild Wednesday" on Archimedes Notebook.

3.For a holiday themed tree craft, get messy on KidsActivitiesBlog using their instructions for a cute handprint Christmas tree.

4. eHow has step-by-stepp instructions for creating birdseed ornament feeders which readers con hang during their nature walks.

5. Where Imagination Grows produced simple glass jar luminaries for fall, but by changing the color of the tissue paper, I think these would be a beautiful craft to go along with the book, and they double as pretty teacher gifts.

6.A few cookies and a little decorator's icing from FineMotorSkills, and you'll have cookies as pretty as hers, decked out in wintery branches and snowflakes. Her step-by-step instructions include plenty of photos and her text is easy to follow.

7. Check out these and more Perfect Picture Books at your local library.



Reviewed by Sue

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Reviewed by Cathy

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Reviewed by Joanne



Reviewed by Julie

Reviewed by Joanne



Have you reviewed a Perfect Picture Book along this theme? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

Check out all the recommended titles for Perfect Picture Book Friday
for Friday, December 2, 2016 available on Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.