"Before sacks of pecans
and a crack and a crunch
and a roll and a press
and a mix and a pour
and a peek in the oven
a shoo from the kitchen
a blue baking timer
that finally dings,
before anyone takes the first
bite of warm pie,
Nell digs a hole."
This delightful book begins with 'before', and then goes back and forth in time to show readers how one tree has an effect through generations of a family. Before children scale the tree to see how high they can climb, Nell finds a seed and picks it up, and plants it. She tends it until it is ready for planting.
The planting of that one small tree, nurtured and cared for by a young girl, leads to countless adventures and events throughout her life. Through the years, family members find a robin's nest with three eggs and watch them hatch, use it in a race from house to tree and back, or as a perfect place for reading quietly. Finally, it provides the nuts needed for now Grandmother Nell to bake a warm and tasty pecan pie for a family gathering. What a wonder!
Captivating text takes readers back and forth in time, all the while showing them the connections that lead from past to present. As the family grows, so does the tree. Accompanying artwork, created using pen and ink, gouache, and collage, brings nature alive as the family spends many joyous days in their rural environs.
Who could have known that the careful nuturing of a tiny found seed would bring such abundance to family in the years ahead?
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