TreeSong

Gr 2—5—TreeSong chronicles the life of a Sitka spruce, an evergreen that grew to be 300 feet tall and lived for hundreds of years. It was home to countless birds, insects, and plants and part of the forest community. Then the story describes the arrival of Europeans to North America, which changed the life of the forest and the Earth. One day, after so many generations, the Sitka cracked violently in a storm and "a hushed sorrow filled the air." An instrument maker requested a piece of its wood and "season after season" he worked on creating his masterpiece, a cello that he played in the ancient forest. The soft-focus illustrations are intricately detailed on crinkled paper. They give a gentleness to the story even when they depict chopped and fallen trees. This book celebrates nature and warns against its destruction. Unfortunately, the slightly lecturing tone is a bit heavy and might turn off a young audience. An astute teacher might best use this didactic text.—Carrie Rogers-Whitehead, Kearns Library, UT