Picture a Tree

"There is more than one way to picture a tree." The narrator commands us to pay attention and to make connections; Reid then proceeds to demonstrate. In a series of vibrant Plasticine compositions she focuses our attention on the shapes, colors, and textures of trees: the wet black bark of boulevard trees in a rainstorm, an evergreen bowed down with snow, the staring knotholes of a birch. Parallel to these tree portraits are linked human stories. "A wild goodbye party" is both the extravagant goodbye of fall trees in full color and the five joyful kids who are rushing to jump into a leaf pile. Trees at various stages in their lives -- "baby trees, in-betweens, grown-ups, grandfathers" -- form the backdrop to human micro-narratives as an in-between tree shades a trio of self-conscious teen boys, embarrassed, awkward, longing to be cool. The Plasticine medium is both inviting and kinetic, inspiring readers to themselves roll, smear, layer, mix, scratch, and dimple. The premise here is original; the artistry, stunning. The forty value-added vignettes on the endpapers make us reluctant to close the book. sarah ellis