From the Publisher
The many different types of wildlife that live in and around a tree show its a busy life in this picture book for ages 5-8.
Booklist
These are my roots, winding and long; / they anchor and feed me and help me grow strong." The wonder of ecology is in the close-up details as an oak tree tells its story about growing tall and making connections with all kinds of creatures in nature, including spiders, ants, owls, and other plants. Branches leafy and high are a "sidewalk" for squirrels that soar. One branch cradles a nest. With the simple first-person narrative, the poetry is as much fun as the science ("Here is my track where busy ants scurry / searching for food as they march in a hurry"), and big, clear, handsome oil paintings add to the title's read-aloud appeal. The tree's important conservation role ("breathing out air for all to breathe in") will open up more pathways for discussion and sharing across the curriculum.
Children's Literature
In simple rhyming text, a stately tree invites the reader to come observe its abundance of lively activity: "I'm a tree, a busy tree . . . come and see." From its sustaining roots, to its trunk where hungry ants scurry, and its spreading branches that produce acorns nibbled by eager chipmunks, the tree provides food and homes for all kinds of creatures, including spiders, woodpeckers, squirrels, moths, and owls, while also giving children a place to play in its shade and plant seeds for the trees of tomorrow. The invitation issued by Ward is engaging, alerting child readers to all that they can observe in the ecological community created by one single tree. The art for the book is lovely, especially the spider web with every strand illuminated by the rising sun, but it is also oddly static; the animals seem motionless, even as they are portrayed leaping through midair. The overall effect of Falkenstern's paintings is hardly busy; while the text celebrates perpetual motion, the art captures moments frozen in time, making for a somewhat uneasy collaboration between the two. Reviewer: Claudia Mills, Ph.D.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2—In rhyming couplets, an old oak introduces children to the wildlife that lives and feeds in and around it ("I'm a tree, a busy tree.../come and see"). In its branches and on its trunk are ants, a spider on a web, a downy woodpecker, an owl, squirrels, baby robins in a nest, a moth's cocoon—even children on a swing—while chipmunks and a tiny mole live and eat beneath. The large oak describes its roots ("winding and long;/they anchor and feed me and help me grow strong"), leaves ("...breathing out air for all to breathe in"), and boughs ("…that creak, bend, and sway/shading the children below as they play"). Handsome realistic oil paintings set on white pages show details of the tree and its denizens in daytime, at sunset, and at night, in fall and in summer. Observant eyes will notice grubs burrowed underground, new leaf buds, and a tiny ladybug nestled on a leaf. The cycle of new life and growth is demonstrated as the youngsters collect and plant an acorn that grows into another large tree "as seasons pass by." Children will enjoy this brief glimpse at a familiar species that reinforces much that they have already observed.—Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Kirkus Reviews
Gentle rhyming couplets describe the different parts of an oak tree and the roles they play in feeding and sheltering the animals of the forest. From the roots and bark to the leaves and acorns, Ward pays tribute to each in simple-seeming phrases that sneakily introduce good vocabulary, such as boughs, hatchlings, scurry and prowl. "These are my branches, leafy and high, / a sidewalk for squirrels that soar through the sky." The tale comes full circle as the boy and girl who take shelter under that tree find some acorns and plant another generation of busy trees. In her debut picture book, Falkenstern's oil paintings are a wonder. The animals are rendered with such realism and depth as to seem ready to come right off the pages, each claw, feather and whisker perfectly placed. The broken eggshells give the impression of delicacy, while the dew on the leaves looks as if a touch will leave a finger wet. An amazing exploration of an oak-tree habitat for the youngest readers. (Picture book. 3-8)
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