ALA Booklist (Sun May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

The chewing gum tree, the upside-down tree, and the rainbow tree sound like fictional botanicals straight out of a children's tale, but they are just three of the very real types of odd trees found in this vividly rendered book. In a narrative that's part geography lesson, part ecology study, and part picture essay, each tree tells its own story in first person, including details about where its species first appeared and how humans came to realize its idiosyncratic uses. The trees included in the book represent a variety of places around the globe om Madagascar to the American northwest d the beautiful illustrations by celebrated French illustrator Gambini highlight the cultural aspects of human uses for each type of tree. The scientific name for each species is listed along with its more colloquial title, and great emphasis is placed on the relationship between birds, insects, animals, and the trees that they rely on. Through beautiful images and concise descriptions, these 16 unusual species provide fodder for a high-interest read.

Horn Book (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

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.

School Library Journal (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

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. Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID