TREE OF LIFE: The World of the African Baobab

by Barbara Bash ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 1, 1989

Dramatic watercolor illustrations, elegant but readable calligraphy, and an engaging text make this another outstanding nature title by the author of Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus (1989). Bash describes the life cycle of a tree that lives on the African savannah and the insects, birds, and animals that rely on it for home, food, and survival. She begins with a legend of the Bushmen: the Great Spirit gave each animal a tree to plant; Hyena, arriving late, got the last tree--the baobab--and carelessly planted it upside down so that the branches still look like gnarled roots. The illustrations here, sweeping across double spreads, are breathtaking--both precise and lovely: baboons against a blue sky, bush babies at twilight, or brown fruit bats at night, drinking the nectar of the baobab's flowers. A splendid addition to the ""Tree Tales"" series that should find a wide audience.

Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1989

ISBN: 1578050863

Page Count: 28

Publisher: Sierra Club/Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1989

Categories: CHILDREN'S