The Tree in the Ancient Forest by Carol Reed-Jones, Christopher Canyon (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

The remarkable web of plants and animals living around a single old fir tree takes on a life of its own in this stunningly illustrated story. Carol Reed-Jones' repetitive, cumulative verse—a poetic technique that children universally enjoy—aptly portrays the amazing ways in which the inhabitants of the forest depend upon one another for survival. Christopher Canyon's memorable full-color paintings manage to be both magical and true to life. Complete with a guide to the forest creatures and their interrelationships, this book is a valuable learning tool as well as fun for kids.

Author Biography: Carol Reed-Jones lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, son, dog, and cat. She enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, and watching Douglas squirrels from her living room window. She strongly believes in living in ways that preserve the earth and all life. In addition to her writing, Carol teaches music, directs an early music vocal group, and is completing her Master's thesis in music history. The Tree in the Ancient Forest is Carol's first book with Dawn Publications.

Author Biography (illustrator): Christopher Canyon is the illustrator of four books for children. When he isn't in his studio, Christopher enjoys traveling and providing educational and entertaining programs for schools, libraries, and conferences. Christopher received his formal art education at the Columbus College of Art & Design in Columbus, Ohio. His work as been selected for many exhibits and publications including the Society of Illustrators, the Mazza Collection at the university of Findlay, Ohio, and the Natural History magazine. Two of his books for Dawn Publications, The Tree in the Ancient Forest and Stickeen, have won the Ben Franklin Award for best children's picture book of the year. Chistopher is also the illustrator of Wonderful Nature, Wonderful You and Earth and You - A Closer View. Christopher lives with his wife and cat in central Ohio.

NAPRA Review

The Tree in the Ancient Forest is a marvelous book and a fine introduction to the life of a forest for ages 4 to 10.

Children's Literature

Through cumulative, repetitive verse, the interrelatedness of plant and animal life surrounding an old fir tree is revealed. The colorful, close up, real life illustrations cover the entire page with the text overlaid. It answers the two stated questions "What is an ancient forest?" and "Why are ancient forests important?" At the end there is a glossary that gives descriptions of the various plants and animals encountered in this enlightening and appealing book.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1Structured like ``This Is the House that Jack Built,'' this environmental rhyme aims to show the interdependence of living things in the ancient forests. The pace of the poem gets bogged down a bit when readers encounter verses such as ``These are the voles and mice that tunnel,/And eat the tiny, underground truffles/That grow on roots that draw food from the soil,/To nourish the three-hundred-year-old tree/That grows in the ancient forest.'' The theme, as well, is a bit belaboredpine cones falling and startling a marten are part of the process. Acrylic paintings dominate the pages; they are mostly dark and somber and may seem slightly menacing. An introduction, in small dense print, outlines the meaning of interdependence, and a final section elaborates on the cast of characters. Not a vital purchase.Eva Elisabeth Von Ancken, Trinity Pawling School, NY

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