"AUTUMN
Autumn brings many changes. The mornings
are frosty, and the green oak leaves have turned
a deep purplish red. The acorns have changed
color, too, from green to brown. By late
autumn, most of the leaves and acorns will
have fallen off the trees and covered the ground
below."
Pamela Hickman has penned many nature books for young readers. In this newest one, she chooses an oak tree to focus readers' attention on, as it passes from one season to the next. This particular tree is almost one hundred years old, and has housed a wide variety of visitors.
She describes six animals that have a home in the tree: a raccoon, an acorn weevil larva, an opossum, a gray squirrel, a blue jay, and a chipmunk. Imagine what careful observers will see as one season passes and another presents itself. As readers watch the seasons and the tree change, another story is playing itself out. The house nearby has been sold, and a new family is making a home there.
Each animal is described in short information boxes as they prepare for the life changes that the seasons bring.
"WINTER
During a snowstorm, the gray squirrel
shelters in her drey. Her thick fur and
bushy tail act as a blanket for extra
warmth. Later, when she is out gathering
food, she will find a mate nearby.
The blue jay stays warm by puffing
up his feathers to trap air. The air
acts like insulation to keep his body
heat."
The book's design is attractive, presenting a note about every season beside the changing oak tree. The images of the house and its inhabitants show how it also changes from season to season. The full spreads, created using watercolor, gouache, colored pencils, and Photoshop, that fall between each season continue to tell the story of each of the animals who make the tree their home. Too soon, it is autumn once more and the cycle will begin again.
Backmatter includes the life cycle of an oak tree, the life cycles of each of the animals presented in this book, a glossary, and books for further reading.
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