Tree: Seasons come, Seasons Go

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Text by Patricia Hegarty
Illustrations by Britta Teckentrup

Little Tiger Kids 2015

Reviewed copy from my personal library.

Back of book:
A timeless tale of new beginnings...
Peek through the holes in the tree to find a busy world of nature at work through rain and shine, wind and snow. Each season of the year is brought to life by Britta Teckentrup's beautiful artwork.


Oh this book is a delicious peek-a-boo feast. When I spotted it in the book shop, I immediately knew it wouldn't be staying on the shelf. The hardback cover has a cut out piece with a wide-eyed Owl peeping out from a tree. My toddler son was immediately drawn to this, and couldn't resist introducing himself to the Owl by poking his finger into the 'tree hole' on the cover.

Mr Owl peeps out from every page within the book

As it's title suggests, the story is about the life of a tree over the course of four seasons. The text is written in rhyme with four lines per double-page spread. I love how the lilting rhythm of such books make for a satisfying read-a-loud while inviting children to join in with story time. Without realizing it, children are learning about the segments of words, absorbing sound patterns and laying strong foundations for their future reading.The rhythmic text describes the weather, wildlife and nature changes surrounding a lovely apple-tree. 

In the forest, all is still,
Gripped by winter's icy chill.
Owl sits watching in his tree...
No one sees as much as he.

The charming illustrations are what makes this book truly special. Every page is filled with beautiful colours and intricate detail. There's a real sense of life and movement within Teckentrup's art work and so much to admire. 

While my son is just two and not quite ready for the story's text, he particularly enjoyed the images- counting the bear cubs, finding the spider, talking about the baby birds, the stars and the hungry squirrel. He poured over the pages for quite some time, commenting on animals, flowers and activities that interested him. There are cut outs within the tree and on turning the pages, a new animal or insect can be found scampering about. My little man really enjoyed this tactile experience-feeling the cut outs while talking about the woodland animals on each page. 

 Tree: Seasons Come, Seasons Gooffers a beautiful visual experience while building knowledge about seasons, nature, wildlife and ecosystems. Perfect as a gift, it's a book you will be happy to read and admire again and again....a Missus B favourite.

Happy Reading,
Missus B
     

For further learning and discussion, check out these links:
'Trees as Habitats' Activity Sheet from Project Learning Tree (www.plt.org)
Games & Activities for forest outings from 'discovertheforest.org'
Feeling like you need a shot of nature? Check out a great range of forest trails, parks and wilderness sites at www.coillteoutdoors.ie