From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3-The opening of this book is a little misleading in its simplicity- "Trees are nice. They're nice to look at, nice to have around." Lauber goes on to explain increasingly complex topics, such as products made from trees (wood items, paper, maple syrup) and foods from them that animals and people rely on (fruit, nuts, chocolate, leaves, and flowers). They are described as homes for a variety of animals. Finally, an effective description of photosynthesis is provided. Readers will agree with the author's conclusion that "...trees are more than nice-they're something we can't live without!" The remaining three pages offer suggestions for young environmentalists, such as recycling and finding alternatives to paper products. The full-color labeled illustrations complement the text, as do the diagrams that demonstrate manufacturing and scientific processes. Multiethnic children appear throughout. A good introduction to the subject.
Pearl Herscovitch, University of Calgary, Alberta, CanadaCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Gr. 2-4. Part of the Let's-Read-And-Find-Out Science series, this conveys a lot of information in a simple text with clear line-and-watercolor illustrations. The opening is banal ("Trees are nice"), but Lauber goes on to show that trees are also something we can't live without. She talks about trees as home and food for various animals, as providers of fruits and nuts for humans, as sources of wood and paper, and as conservers of soil. Then words and pictures demonstrate the process of photosynthesis, step-by-step: how trees make food in their leaves and how they release the oxygen we need to breathe. A final section gives hands-on examples for recycling paper and shows two youngsters planting a tree. This easy reader will be welcome in any ecology project, in the classroom or the community.
Hazel Rochman
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
