The Things That I Love about Trees

K-Gr 2--An ode to the majesty of trees, gently narrated with a sense of childlike wonder. Opening with the joyful declaration "It's spring!" the book guides readers through the four seasons and the changes that trees undergo throughout the year. There are moments when Butterworth's similes are just right: "Summer trees are shady and so full of leaves that when the wind blows, they swish like the sea." Text in a smaller font expands on information hinted at in the main narrative; for instance, how trees do the majority of their growing in early summer. Voake's illustrations, done in watercolor and ink, are well matched with Butterworth's meditative narrative. The artwork loosely follows a young child after she races out of her apartment to investigate the flora and fauna around her, sometimes accompanied by friends and other times alone with just a bird with a "sweet sticky plum." Twice in the illustrations a teepeelike structure made out of branches and twigs is shown. In the second instance, the text refers to it as a "hideout" that children can build. The stereotypes tied to this kind of imagery, particularly in the United States, cannot be ignored or dismissed and their inclusion is most disappointing. In addition, a suggestion to "use a fallen tree as a giant climbing frame" is unwise, considering the relative age of the intended audience. VERDICT For readers curious about changes in nature, consider instead April Pulley Sayre's Best in Snow and Full of Fall.--Della Farrell, School Library Journal