As an Oak Tree Grows

by G Brian Karas (Author) G Brian Karas (Illustrator)

As an Oak Tree Grows
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
A child plants an acorn, and an oak tree sprouts. As 200 years pass, generations of people come and go, but the tree remains standing, the sole witness to the remarkable changes taking place all around it. This inventive book relays history from a unique perspective. Includes a poster. Full color. Consumable.
Select format:
Hardcover
$19.99

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2--This engaging picture book charts the history of an oak tree that's more than 200 years old. Each page lists a year in the life of the tree, starting with an acorn planted by a young boy in 1775. The mighty oak survives decades of droughts and snowstorms until it is eventually felled by a lightning storm, at which point its life cycle continues in the form of "furniture, firewood and mulch." Karas's straightforward narration is informative and reflective. Detailed watercolor illustrations dramatically show the landscape evolving from rural to urban over time, also depicting the introduction of electricity, automobiles, and other new technologies. Amid this rapid change, the oak is steadfast, providing a nesting spot for birds, and beauty and shade for the community. This fascinating time capsule will spark nature and history discussions.--Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Karas (On Earth) juxtaposes a steadily growing oak tree with the changing landscape around it in this engaging tale of transformation and constancy. It opens with a Native American boy planting an acorn on a forested hill. Subsequent scenes and to-the-point narration reveal how the forest gives way to farmland and a town, which grows into a city. More than 200 years pass and the oak provides a home for animals, swings, and a tree fort. Gouache and pencil illustrations maintain the same perspective throughout, inviting comparisons between elements in each spread and their more modern counterparts that follow (a canoe on the bay is replaced by schooners, steamships, and motorboats). After a poignant penultimate spread (logs are sawed up and driven away after lightning takes the giant tree), the story comes full circle with a sapling. A rapidly modernizing society, the resultant impact on the environment, and the constant, observant presence of nature are themes readers can start to grasp with this book. More simply, it's a charming cycle-of-life story and an engaging chronicle of American urban history. Ages 5-8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Sept.)

Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Engaging tale of transformation and constancy. . . . [Invites] comparisons between elements in each spread and their more modern counterparts that follow. . . . A rapidly modernizing society, the resultant impact on the environment, and the constant, observant presence of nature are themes readers can start to grasp with this book. More simply, it's a charming cycle-of-life story and an engaging chronicle of American urban history." — Publishers Weekly

"Engaging. . . . Karas's straightforward narration is informative and reflective. Detailed watercolor illustrations dramatically show the landscape evolving from rural to urban over time. . . . This fascinating time capsule will spark nature and history discussions." — School Library Journal

"Clear and simple look at over two centuries of change in a single landscape. . . . Karas avoids editorializing. . . . Art has a friendly, intimate quality. . . . This will invite repeat visits." — Kirkus Reviews

"Illustrations allow readers to see how generations alter the landscape . . . and variations in farming practices as well as the development of differing modes of transportation." — The Horn Book

"The sweep of Karas' pencil and gouache full-bleed spreads has all the majesty of good landscape, with the stately tree firmly rooted in the center of every scene, but his homey and accessible draftsmanship keeps the details human as well as intricate. . . . The hilltop prospect provides a particularly fine vista, and audiences will appreciate the small dramas and subtle alterations as well as the significant changes. If you're near any large trees, this could spark your own local trip through history." — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
G Brian Karas
G. Brian Karas was born in Milford, Connecticut. After graduating from Paier School of Art with highest honors, he worked as a greeting card artist at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri. After three years he moved to New York and began freelancing as a commercial illustrator. His first illustrated book was published in 1983 (Home on the Bayou, which won the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor), and he has since illustrated more than 50 books for children. His first book as an author-illustrator received a Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor in 1997.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780399252334
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Nancy Paulsen Books
Publication date
September 11, 2014
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV029000 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | General
JUV024000 - Juvenile Fiction | Lifestyles | Country Life
JUV016110 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | United States - General
Library of Congress categories
Trees
Growth
Oak
Ladybug Picture Book Award
Nominee 2015 - 2015
Alabama Camellia Award
Nominee 2015 - 2016

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