ALA Booklist (Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2018)

Whimsical watercolor illustrations complete a field-guide-style book that documents trees across North America. The opening pages go micro, exploring the roots, branches, bark, seeds, and leaves that make up a tree; illustrations show the differences between deciduous and evergreen trees, document different types of leaves, and chart the growth of a tree from seed to sapling. Subsequent spreads examine how trees change throughout the seasons, examining how each season is essential for growth and health. Ending segments map the different types of forest regions in North America, document some of the animals that make their homes in trees, and highlight strange or unusual trees. For readers interested in a more hands-on approach, an activity section provides instructions on how to plant and care for a new tree, while a page on endangered trees offers steps to take toward protecting trees. The layered watercolors ot art and full-page illustrations e bright and eye-catching, providing both a clearly informative and picturesque look into the complex world of trees.

Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Photosynthesis, pollination, leaf types, and more feature in this fact-filled beginner's guide to Canadian and American trees. Smudgy watercolor and gouache illustrations lack the realistic detail you'd expect in a guidebook but compensate with vibrant eye-catching hues (particularly in the sections on trees in each season). Instructions on tree-watching and -planting encourage readers to experience nature for themselves. Glos., ind.

Kirkus Reviews

Do you like to climb trees, sit under their shady branches on a hot summer's day, eat apples and peaches, read books or watch birds?"The conversational—but never condescending—text goes on to say that a "yes" to any of those questions shows that trees are already an important part of the reader's life. It then goes on to mention a few more of the roles trees play in the United States and Canada, which are "two of the most forested countries in the world," and to invite readers to learn more in the following pages. From the colorful, stylized cover art that shows various trees in different seasons through the simple—but not oversimplified—explanations of photosynthesis, pollination, and more to the pages that offer silhouettes of trees and leaves alongside tips for "Beginner Tree-Watching," this book gently funnels readers into deeper understanding and appreciation. The layout offers a variety of formats, interspersing large-lettered headings and subheadings with well-leaded, oversized text and bright watercolors that are easy to interpret. The page titled "Trees in Summer" is probably the wordiest; it is made nonthreatening through the smooth introduction of vocabulary and the easily understood diagram of a peeled-away tree trunk. Childlike images of animals, especially bees, will further charm readers into becoming conservationists by the time the text exhorts them to do so.A cogent, jauntily illustrated primer. (glossary, index) (Informational picture book. 7-10)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Watercolor and gouache illustrations with a light-handed contemporary sensibility enliven a straightforward and comprehensive introduction to U.S. and Canadian trees. Essentials such as tree structure, the difference between deciduous and evergreen trees, leaf morphology, and how trees breathe, eat, and pollinate are all explained in direct, accessible text. Seasonally themed spreads cover why leaves fall and how maple syrup is made, while others illuminate interesting tree behaviors, such as the fact that cold nights might actually cause trees to crack with a bang. Varied text formats-sidebars, lists, and asides-make it easy to absorb all this information, and sections on beginner tree watching, forest regions, and strange trees (among them the manchineel and its -death apples-) offer alternate pathways to engage attention. A glossary and index conclude this thoughtfully presented resource. Ages 7-10. (Apr.)