Someday a Tree [Hardcover]

Eve Bunting (Author), Ronald Himler (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Alice is dismayed when one day the leaves on the old oak tree start to fall. Although she can't save the tree, Alice remembers something that gives her hope: the acorns she collected when the tree was still healthy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nostalgia and timeliness merge seamlessly in this uncommonly evocative picture book. A sprawling oak tree grows in the field next to Alice's house, and it holds many memories for her family. Her mother reminisces about the first picnic she and Alice's father shared underneath it, and about Alice's christening on the very same spot. When the grass around the tree begins to turn yellow, and the branches begin to drop leaves in springtime, a tree doctor surmises that someone has dumped chemicals by its roots. Alice and her parents, as well as their neighbors, try desperately but vainly to save the poisoned tree. Finally, when its branches are bare, Alice plants acorns she had once gathered from the then-healthy tree, telling her dog that if even one of them grows, another tree will sprout up "someday." While filling her cogent tale with poignant details (neighbors bring food and get-well cards; one knits a scarf to tie around the trunk of the ailing oak), Bunting ( The Valentine Bears ) never allows it to become sentimental or didactic. The story's emotional impact--and environmental message--are movingly reinforced by Himler's delicate paintings, which deftly portray the robust oak's pathetic deterioration into a rickety skeleton of a tree. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3-- A sensitive book with an environmental theme. A family relaxes and engages in picnics, naps, storytelling, and plain fun under a gigantic old oak tree on their country property. One day, young Alice notices that the grass under the tree smells funny and is turning yellow. The oak's leaves start to fall, even though it is spring. A tree doctor discovers that the soil has been poisoned, probably by illegally dumped chemicals. Neighbors pitch in: the poisoned dirt is carted off, the fire department sprays water, sacking is wrapped around top branches, and the telephone company loans poles from which to hang sunscreens. The tree dies despite the efforts to save it. Finally, Alice remembers her collection of acorns, which she rushes out and plants in healthy ground near the tree. Himler's soft, realistic watercolors spread over double pages and complement the sensitive, poetic mood of the story. In increasing numbers, teachers are asking for picture books on ecological issues. This title joins Van Allsburg's Just a Dream (Houghton, 1990) and Ruth Brown's The World That Jack Built (Dutton, 1991) in serving that demand. --Jacqueline Elsner, Athens Regional Library, GA
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (March 22, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395613094
• ISBN-13: 978-0395613092
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,371,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eve Bunting has written more than 200 books for children, many of which can be found in libraries around the world. Her other Clarion titles for very young readers include My Big Boy Bed, which was also illustrated by Maggie Smith, and Little Bear's Little Boat, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter. She lives in Pasadena, California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sentimental beauty of a book, November 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Someday a Tree (Hardcover)

I found this book at the library and cried when I read it. The story is that of a young family coping with the loss of their special tree that died from poisin someone had dumped nearby. The daughter is confused and asks the philosophical question,"Why did it die?" and the father answers "Trees get old and die." To which she replies "But not like this." You see the tree was healthy and full of life. It was sudden and unexpected as death often is. The book has an inspirational ending when the daughter remembers her acorn collection and decides to plant one so that the tree lives on in some way.

I bought this book for a friend whose husband died suddenly at the peak of his life, his young daughter only six months old. I think this book would be great for anyone who needs some help explaining death to children. It would be a great stepping stone especailly for kids reluctant to discuss their grief. I wouldn't be surprized if child psychologists have reccommended this book for just that.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sentimental beauty of a book, November 20, 2000

By 

maxxxxx magiera (south carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Someday a Tree (Hardcover)

I found this book at the library and cried when I read it. The story is that of a young family coping with the loss of their special tree that died from poisin someone had dumped nearby. The daughter is confused and asks the philosophical question,"Why did it die?" and the father answers "Trees get old and die." To which she replies "But not like this." You see the tree was healthy and full of life. It was sudden and unexpected as death often is. The book has an inspirational ending when the daughter remembers her acorn collection and decides to plant one so that the tree lives on in some way.

I bought this book for a friend whose husband died suddenly at the peak of his life, his young daughter only six months old. I think this book would be great for anyone who needs some help explaining death to children. It would be a great stepping stone especailly for kids reluctant to discuss their grief. I wouldn't be surprized if child psychologists have reccommended this book for just that.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent-Meaningful, April 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Someday a Tree (Hardcover)

A great book!This talks about growing up and planting atree. As the tree ages, so does she. One spring, the tree doesn't makegreen leaves. They call a tree doctor. The doctor tells them that their tree is sick. Every day they go visit the tree. They talk to it and tell it to have hope. The family does everything possible to help the tree. Others stop and leave notes and gifts for the tree. I found this book to be great. It is a real life situation that could happen to any tree. Even though it is almost a picture book, I found it to be a great book. If you have kids or younger siblings, read it to them. I am pretty sure that they will like it too.