The Little Tree That Would Not Share

PreS-Gr 1—A young city tree loves its luscious new green foliage so much it refuses to let any of the local critters near it. "He won't even share his shade," the birds complain. All summer long the birds, the cats, the butterflies, the insects, and even the snails are denied the enjoyment of the tree. When autumn arrives, the inexperienced tree fears it must be very sick as all of its wonderful foliage changes color and falls off. Luckily, a clever crow educates the tree about the cycle of the seasons. With this new knowledge, the tree makes a promise that he fulfills the following spring and summer when he welcomes everyone "to celebrate among his branches." In addition to the text, Costa uses speech bubbles to give a voice to the annoyed animals. Costa's biography says her intent is to create illustrations children can imitate and draw themselves, and in this she has succeeded admirably. Her folksy artwork is bright and cheery and uses simple shapes and perspectives with lots of whimsy.