Caldecott Monday: A Tree Is Nice

[osprey_archer]

The 1957 Caldecott winner, A Tree is Nice, is super adorable and not Giving Tree-like at all. Or, rather, it actually is full of nice things that trees do for us - they provide shade, they rustle pleasantly in the breeze, they provide more shade, trees are so awesome that maybe you should consider planting one so you can point at it and be all "I planted that tree" -

But, after all, planting a tree is pretty much the least Giving Tree thing you could do. It is giving back to tree-kind to thank the trees for all the nice things that they do for us.

I have a friend who teaches at a Reggio Emilia preschool, where the curriculum is based on nature, and I'm thinking about suggesting this book to her. The sentences are all short and simple, just a couple per page, which I think would be simple enough for preschoolers to follow.

Also, the illustrations are charming. This is an unusual book in that I like the black and white illustrations even more than the ones in full color; there's a certain charming level of detail to the line drawings that is effaced by the large washes of color in the color pictures.

Comments

[evelyn-b.livejournal.com]

Oh, man. That is the best title of all time. A tree IS nice! I approve 1000%. I might buy this for my niece and nephew (who live in the woods and probably won't be planting any trees in the near future, but who can still appreciate the sentiment that A TREE IS NICE).

(I haven't even looked at this book yet, but the title is highly convincing).

[osprey-archer.livejournal.com]

I hope your niece and nephew like it! It's hard to argue with that title: a tree really is pretty nice!