FICTION

Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them

by Bernadette POURQUIÉ
illus. by Cécile Gambini. 40p. Princeton Architectural. Apr. 2016. Tr $16.95. ISBN 9781616894597.
COPY ISBN
Gr 3–5—Young dendrologists may appreciate the way each of the unusual trees featured in this book talk directly to readers. The rainbow tree (Mindanao gum tree) talks about its bark of many colors, while the ghost tree (Davidia) delights in the idea that nighttime passersby will be spooked by its special leaves, bracts, which resemble ghosts. The comments made by the anthropomorphized trees are playful; they often employ puns. The illustration style slightly varies from tree to tree, but each depicts people and critters conducting activities around the base of the tree. The artist's inclusion of a Native American man with a headdress and tomahawk, for the giant sequoia spread, is surprising and questionable.
VERDICT The art and the trees' self-descriptions are just a bit too brief but may inspire a curious child to conduct further research.
Reviewed by Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID
Perky personifications of sixteen unusual (but real) tree species from around the world tell their "stories" in their own voices on left-hand pages; a fanciful portrait of the tree appears on the right of each spread. Some factual information is embedded in each tree's jocular presentation, but readers looking for straightforward information or images should look elsewhere. The endpapers contain a world map.
 , Apr 01, 2016

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