Hosta offers a fresh and properly subjunctive take on Janice May Udry’s A Tree Is Nice (1956), illustrated by Marc Simont, with this tribute to the tallest of living things. Structured as lyrical responses to the question, “Oh, how would it be if you were a tree?”—“If I were a tree I would bring you a burst of blossoms in the springtime”—the brief text accompanies stylized, richly hued collage scenes of trees in various settings and seasons, soaring gracefully over houses (but no human figures), flowers and wildlife. The author conveys both an environmental awareness and bits of natural science, closing with a simplified, labeled look at a tree’s parts and metabolism. An effective consciousness-raiser for pre- and emergent readers, pleasant to read, hear and see—even the tall, narrow trim size is evocative. (Picture book. 4-6)
