the field mouse, gets shoved
aside. Her little voice tries to
shout, "But it was me! I got to the
tree first!"
In Summer,
the tree is barely alive.
Only a few leaves are hanging
on. Most branches are completely bare; with nothing growing from the twigs."
It is certainly feeling like summer with temperatures at 30C these days! It seems the perfect time to share this animal fable and its grasslands setting.
The sun is so HOT! The animals are all looking for respite from its blistering blaze. There is one tree, and seven animals want a spot under it. Being the biggest and most powerful allows the elephant pride of place. Then, the animals see how ridiculous it is to stand beneath a tree that has no leaves. The animals think it is VERY funny.
"Suddenly the animals start to laugh,
one by one, until they are all laughing.
They finally see that under the leafless tree, there is no shade.
The elephant is sweltering in the sun,
just like the rest of them!"
It is not until they see a father and son walking in the overwhelming heat that they consider an alternative. Noticing the father's shadow is protecting his son from the sun's rays, they rethink their own strategy. The lynx is first; he welcomes the mouse to the cool of his shadow. The book's design completely changes as each animal adds its shadow to the group. The six pages that follow expand in width as each animal moves in to protect the next.
Young readers see clearly how the shadow expands with the animal's size. Observant children are sure to notice how each animal changes as they move from the sunny side of the book's gutter to the growing shade on the other side. Well-chosen and lovely language, as well as brightly colored and gentle images, carry the story from page to page, always informing and entertaining as it moves along.
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