Gus falls asleep during recess and dreams he is a tree. Babin's writing, though lyrical, can sound forced ("...night isn't as inky black as he thought"). Some words, distractingly in all-caps in the main text (BARK, VEIN), are explained in an appended glossary. The collage illustrations, which subtly blend nature photographs with the paintings, are visually appealing.

K-Gr 3 Despite the sounds of the other children at play, Gus manages to doze off while sitting against a tree during recess. Soon he is dreaming that he is a big, old tree with bark striped red, yellow, and orange just like the sweater he wears. He feels the wind, watches the forest creatures, enjoys a moonlit night, and experiences refreshing drops of rain. Back in the schoolyard, Gus awakens to the call of his friends, who are now wearing raincoats and carrying umbrellas. This story glories in the joys of nature and being in the forest. A glossary contains tree-related words that are found in capital letters throughout the text. The illustrations are a blend of paintings and photographs. As Gus begins to dream, the artwork turns into a surreal mix of textures, perspectives, and colors. Their dreamlike quality complements the text nicely. Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH