Someday a Tree ANNOTATION
A young girl, her parents, and their neighbors try to save an old oak tree that has been poisoned by pollution.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
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.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
"Nostalgia and timeliness merge seamlessly in this uncommonly evocative picture book," said PW in a starred review. "The story's emotional impact-and environmental message-are movingly reinforced by Himler's delicate paintings." Ages 5-8. (Mar.)
School Library Journal
K-Gr 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
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