Picture a Tree
Written and Illustrated by Barbara Reid
Scholastic $19.99
Recommended for ages 4-8.

This year the talented Barbara Reid has created a masterpiece dedicated to the world of trees.  Using her signature Plasticine artwork, Reid takes the reader through a visual tour of trees like no other.  All seasons are covered.  The leafy, green deciduous trees form a tunnel for vehicles.  In winter, the evergreen are laden with heavy white snow while the piles of leaves in the Fall are like  “a wild goodbye party.”  
 
The image of the tree as a home to a variety of animals (and even a stray kite) is especially interesting – almost like a seek-and-find – while the windows of the high-rise building give the readers a peek into the lives of its occupants.  The detail is incredible!
 
The text is sparse yet succinct leaving more time for the reader to admire the artwork.  As Nora, our four-year-old, said while I read the story to her, “Mommy, it looks like frosting.  Every page looks like frosting.”  And she is right – the pictures really do like frosting – just not the kind I make – more of a fancy fondant look!
 
Barbara Reid is the prolific creator of numerous other children’s books including Two by Two, A Perfect Snow, Effie, Gifts, The Subway Mouse and Sing a Song of Mother Goose.