Publisher's Hardcover ©2018 | -- |
Giant sequoia. Juvenile literature.
Giant sequoia. Life cycles. Juvenile literature.
Trees. Juvenile literature.
Giant sequoia.
Giant sequoia. Life cycles.
Trees.
Yosemite National Park (Calif.). Juvenile literature.
Yosemite National Park (Calif.).
The giant sequoia tree is a natural wonder inspiring awe with its immensity and grandeur.Cooke explores the sequoia's life cycle from a tiny seed through its amazing growth and longevity to its eventual collapse, when it releases seeds for a new beginning. Fires clear undergrowth and allow the seeds to scatter. When no fires occur, insects perform the same functions. Sequoias can eventually fall victim to their own size, collapsing and decomposing. These facts are made accessible via concrete comparisons that engage young readers' imaginations. The sequoia's height is equal to "three blue whales stacked chin to tail," and it is "as heavy as three hundred elephants." As narrator, Cooke speaks with earnestness and clarity while employing language and syntax that are poetic and filled with obvious love of these giants. Hsieh's double-page-spread illustrations, done in gorgeous tones of browns, yellows, and greens, add a dreamlike element. The sequoia itself is depicted with careful accuracy and, like the properties of its colorful bark, always seems to glow in sunlight, firelight, or moonlight. Wildlife has its place in the forest habitat, with deer, birds, squirrels, and more appearing in their natural activities. Several humans also appear—a diverse group of children, including one who uses a wheelchair, along with an older woman figure—all tiny at the base of the tree as they admire it in wonder.Informative and breathtakingly beautiful. (afterword) (Informational picture book. 5-9)
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)The giant sequoia tree is a natural wonder inspiring awe with its immensity and grandeur.Cooke explores the sequoia's life cycle from a tiny seed through its amazing growth and longevity to its eventual collapse, when it releases seeds for a new beginning. Fires clear undergrowth and allow the seeds to scatter. When no fires occur, insects perform the same functions. Sequoias can eventually fall victim to their own size, collapsing and decomposing. These facts are made accessible via concrete comparisons that engage young readers' imaginations. The sequoia's height is equal to "three blue whales stacked chin to tail," and it is "as heavy as three hundred elephants." As narrator, Cooke speaks with earnestness and clarity while employing language and syntax that are poetic and filled with obvious love of these giants. Hsieh's double-page-spread illustrations, done in gorgeous tones of browns, yellows, and greens, add a dreamlike element. The sequoia itself is depicted with careful accuracy and, like the properties of its colorful bark, always seems to glow in sunlight, firelight, or moonlight. Wildlife has its place in the forest habitat, with deer, birds, squirrels, and more appearing in their natural activities. Several humans also appear—a diverse group of children, including one who uses a wheelchair, along with an older woman figure—all tiny at the base of the tree as they admire it in wonder.Informative and breathtakingly beautiful. (afterword) (Informational picture book. 5-9)
Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Wilson's Children's Catalog
On newly uncovered soil, a seed rests in a shaft of sunlight. Roots anchor it to the ground, and a seedling grows, up and up toward golden beams shining through the canopy--the highest layer of branches in the forest. Up and up toward light that has traveled all the way from the sun to the Earth.
Sequoia leaves take in that sunlight and also air. Exhale and your breath could become food for a sequoia.
Buried in the earth, a sequoia's roots reach outward, creating a hidden foundation as wide as the tree is tall. Each day, a large sequoia's roots absorb enough water to fill more than eight bathtubs.
Excerpted from The Sequoia Lives On by Joanna Cooke
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
This book shares the life story of the giant sequoia, casting light on natural questions: How does this tree grow so big? How does it live so long? From tiny seed to world's largest tree, the giant sequoia is a living wonder of nature. This ancient and tremendous species grows naturally only on the western slopes of California's Sierra Nevada. Each sequoia begins life as a seed no larger than an oatmeal flake--yet can grow as tall as three blue whales stacked chin to tale. The oldest sequoias have lived as long as forty human lifetimes. The largest are so enormous, twenty children holding hands can't wrap their arms around the trunks! In evocative text and vibrant paintings, The Sequoia Lives On reveals all of this fascinating information and more. An extensive author's note completes the portrait for young readers, inviting them to become the next generation of protectors for this amazing tree.