Customer Reviews

Busy Tree

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We've been a fan of Jennifer Ward since, "There Was A Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea". This book is exactly what we expected. The illustrations are simple yet incredibly effective and beautiful. The rhythm is terrific and the idea brings to light the many things going on in our trees. Our three-year-old loves reading it and then walking outside to look at our trees to see what she can find. It helps bring animation to trees and can be used as a great introduction to the environment. An excellent teaching tool hidden in a fun book.

I LOVE this book, partly because of my tree obsession and partly because it is a simple but poignant look at one of nature's most beautiful creations.

Most people look at a tree as something that stands, provides shade, and can cause a lot of damage when falling. However, they are so much more. They are home to creatures, playgrounds for children, and the source of the very air we breathe.

The illustrations are magnificent and add vivid images to the short couplets.

This is an excellent book showing the birds and animals that rely on a tree for their growth and protection.

Jennifer Ward's THE BUSY TREE is illustrated with gorgeous, realistic drawings by Lisa Falkenstern and reaches ages 5-8 as it offers a rhyming text describing the activities that go on in a tree from roots to branches. From chipmunks and spiders to ants, this offers a fine survey of the various animals involved in a tree's life.

"The Busy Tree" is an excellent book that will entertain young children with the sweet story and beautiful illustrations whilst teaching them about nature. The focal point here is the tree that serves multiple purposes as is outlined in the flowing, rhyming prose:
"I'm a tree, a busy tree...
come and see."

"One of my branches cradles a nest,
a cozy, warm home where new hatchlings rest."

The rhyming prose makes for a soothing read as children enjoy the beautiful illustrations and learn about the various uses of a tree's parts - the bark, the branches, the twigs, leaves, etc. The illustrations by Lisa Falkenstern are simple are in a palette of neutral, nature-inspired colors, and Jennifer Ward's simple prose has a magical quality of its own. I'd also recommend: Way Up in the Arctic, There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea, Somewhere in the Ocean, and The Seed & the Giant Saguaro.