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THE APPLE PIE TREE

Name: THE APPLE PIE TREE
Author: Zoe Hall
ISBN: 0-590-62382-6

by Zoe Hall & illustrated by Shari Halpern ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1996

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A simple nature story about an apple tree in winter, spring, summer, and fall. ``My sister and I have a tree that grows the best part of apple pie. Can you guess what that is? Apples!'' In winter, the tree is brown, but in spring, leaves grow and a robin nests in the branches. In the days that follow, buds, blossoms, bees, tiny apples, and mature fruit appear. In the final pages, the two girls (with help from adults) make and eat an apple pie. A recipe is included, as is information on how the bee pollinates the apple flower. Halpern uses soft greens, browns, and pinks in the cut- paper collages; careful shading, painting, and layering give the illustrations dimensionality, with the textured nest and marbled tree trunk especially effective. An appealing study for young children. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1996

ISBN: 0-590-62382-6

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Blue Sky/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
FALL LEAVES FALL!
by Zoe Hall & illustrated by Shari Halpern

- BOOK REVIEW
THE SURPRISE GARDEN
by Zoe Hall & illustrated by Shari Halpern

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JUST A WORM

by Marie Boyd ; illustrated by Marie Boyd ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2023

Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative.

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What can a worm do?

A little worm sets off on a “twirl” to “see the world.” But when it overhears a human referring to it as “just a worm,” its feelings are hurt. The worm asks other critters—including a caterpillar, a spider, a dragonfly—what they can do. After each answer (turn into a butterfly, spin silk thread, fly), the worm becomes more and more dejected because it can’t do any of these things. “Maybe I am just a worm.” But then the worm encounters a ladybug, who eats aphids and other insects, and the worm realizes that it eats dead plants and animals and keeps gardens clean. And though the worm can’t pollinate like the bee, it does create castings (poop) that help plants grow and stay healthy. These abilities, the worm realizes in triumph, are important! The cleverness of this story lies in its lighthearted, effective dissemination of information about various insects as well as earthworms. It doesn’t hurt that the expressive little worm is downright adorable, with emotions that will resonate with anyone who has felt unimportant. The stunning illustrations are done in quilled paper—a centuries-old technique that involves assembling strips of colored paper into shapes—which adds sparkle and originality. A tutorial of how to make a quilled butterfly and a page on earthworm facts round out the book. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Unusual illustrations enhance an engaging, informative narrative. (Informational picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: March 14, 2023

ISBN: 978-0-06-321256-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Review Posted Online: Nov. 15, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2022

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ANIMALS | CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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WATER

by Frank Asch & edited by Frank Asch ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1995

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``Water is dew. Water is ice and snow.'' No matter what form it takes, seldom has plain old water appeared so colorful as in this rainbow-hued look at rain, dew, snowflakes, clouds, rivers, floods, and seas. Asch celebrates water's many forms with a succinct text and lush paintings done in mostly in softly muted watercolors of aqua, green, rose, blue, and yellow. They look as if they were created with a wet-on-wet technique that makes every hue lightly bleed into its neighbor. Water appears as ribbons of color, one sliding into the other, while objects that are not (in readers' minds) specifically water-like—trees, rocks, roots—are similarly colored. Perhaps the author intends to show water is everything and everything is water, but the concept is not fully realized for this age group. The whole is charming, but more successful as art than science. Though catalogued as nonfiction, this title will be better off in the picture book section. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-7)