Trout Are Made of Trees

Returning to a familiar subject, Sayre ("Trout, Trout, Trout") brings her ichthyological knowledge to bear in this primer on river ecology. In fall, trees let go of leaves, / which swirl and twirl/ and slip into streams. Alliterative verse zips to the point as it describes the tiny aquatic creatures that eat the leaves and begin a consumption cycle (Crane flies, caddisflies, / shrimp, and stoneflies shred leaves./ Rip and snip!). Studying this food chain, in Endle's ("Bella and the Bunny") interpretation, are a boy and girl camping streamside with their dads. Mixed-media collages in autumnal hues show the pair gathering river samples and putting their large, lemon-shaped faces close to the water's edge. Endle's work is highly detailed and carefully patterned when depicting the fish and water life, but bland and static when she includes the humans. Endnotes discuss the life cycle of trout (the story seems to take a mini-detour for a three-spread overview of the topic). Tips for young environmentalists are also included. Ages 4-7. "(Feb.)" Copyright 2008 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

K-Gr 3A seemingly impossible premise, "Trout are made of trees," is at the heart of this explanation of the life cycle of a trout. A boy and girl, one white, one black, are exploring the stream and its inhabitants with their parents. In clear sentences, young readers follow autumn leaves as they fall from a tree into the water, are softened by algae and eaten by other creatures, which are then consumed by the trout. A more detailed explanation is included at the end of the book. Attractive collage illustrations in natural colors fill the spreads and help to explain the text. This unique introduction to how changes in nature create the food web illustrates how the whole world is interconnected."Christine Markley, Washington Elementary School, Barto, PA" Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.