Jacob's Tree [Hardcover]

Holly Keller (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

The bright red line on the tree outside is proof that Jacob the bear hasn't grown even one inch! Jacob's mama says wait, and so does his papa, but Jacob hates being small. Luckily, happy days, hibernation, and a little patience transform a small bear into a not-so-small bear -- with a new line on the tree to prove it -- in Holly Keller's flawless and funny tribute to preschool concerns.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jacob is tired of being "too small," unable to keep up with his older siblings. The little bear takes his vitamins, drinks his milk, waits and waits, and still, according to the mark on the elm tree in his yard, he doesn't grow. Keller (Brave Horace) uses repetition and a deft choice of detail to evoke Jacob's frustration: "He hated it when Rose picked apples and he couldn't reach. He hated it when he was the only one who couldn't get to the top of the jungle gym." Her illustrations show the elm losing its leaves, snow-covered and, finally, with its branches erupting in buds until Jacob's patience finally pays off: the parting shot shows him perched proudly on the jungle gym. Keller's black ink and watercolor artwork tenderly charts Jacob's progress in a tale that reassures little ones they won't be small forever. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-Young children will identify with this gentle, unassuming story of a bear who longs to be bigger. Not only can't Jacob do certain things, such as see himself in the mirror, but it is also difficult and frustrating for him to keep up with his older brother and sister. He tries eating all of his vegetables and drinking his milk but he still can't speed up the growth process. Finally, spring arrives. Upon discovering that he can now see in the mirror, he bounds outside to check his height against the big elm tree where Papa had previously made a mark. The new mark is indeed higher. The text has great pacing and a careful set up of ideas that allows readers access into the cub's emotional turmoil. The book also gives a sense of the time continuum. Jacob achieves his immediate goal but finds that there's still much growing to do. The illustrations, done in pen and ink and watercolor, make this book immediately inviting. The bear family looks softly human and thoroughly huggable. Keller's precision and the clarity of her art create a believable and sweetly friendly world.
Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 24 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688159958
• ISBN-13: 978-0688159955
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,384,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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