Trees : haiku from roots to leaves /

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

In a unique melding of science and poetry, a collection of haiku extols the wonder of trees--and explores the vital roles they play on our living planet.

perched on a branch,
the crow's nest amid green sails
a place for daydreams

From the giant tree ferns of the forests primeval to the hardy sycamores of today's urban forests, experience the essence of trees through poems that engage with every season and stage of the life cycle, from seed to photosynthesis. A broad exploration of a majestic subject, this collection of haiku touches on such topics as the importance of trees to other living creatures and the communication of trees with one another through a complex network of roots. Paired with Angela Mckay's bold, bright, beautifully patterned artwork, Sally M. Walker's third collection, a companion to Earth Verse and Out of This World , encourages respect and care for our arboreal neighbors. Back matter includes a time line, an author's note, a glossary, and a select bibliography for curious readers.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

School Library Journal Review

Gr 2--5--Through short haiku poems, the science and details of trees come to life. Readers will learn about life's interconnectedness with trees, how they change through the seasons, their growth, and their beauty. Some poems are simple, such as the one explaining the shade provided by trees; some poems are quite scientific, like the one detailing how xylem tubes bring water up through the roots, trunks, and branches. The combination of poetry, art, and science provides a unique way of introducing the topic. Colorful art, depicting nature with bold forms and repeating patterns, makes this a great read-aloud for large groups. A time line, author's note, glossary, bibliography, and resources for further exploration are included at the end, along with six pages of scientific explanation. VERDICT This attractive and educational poetry book will be a great addition to poetry and nature study collections.--Katherine Rao

Booklist Review

For her third collection of science-based poetry and prose, Walker comes back down to Earth--celebrating roots, seeds, leaves, and the inner structures of trees in a range of times, climes, and seasons. While she sticks to the traditional 5-7-5 syllabic structure of a haiku, she gathers her entries into multiple three-line verses: "scientific names / (two-word Latin tongue twisters) / prevent confusion // Ginko biloba: / hungry mouths chomp chewy greens-- / dinosaur salad." She unpacks the poems' compressed content in some detail in the endnotes and offers lists of books and other resources to tempt readers into further inquiries. Using relatively broad brushes, Mckay depicts simplified trees in settings from prehistoric to urban, feeding and sheltering wildlife or, in more contemporary scenes, providing racially diverse groups of people places to play, lounge, or stroll. Readers doing any of those things will benefit from this measured, informative reminder that, whether producing shade to "cool burning bare feet" or sending "vital oxygen / from stomata to our lungs: / trees are good neighbors!"

Kirkus Book Review

Adopting the haiku form, Walker examines trees, from seed to crown, from ancient times to modern. In 10 sections, verses--sparsely punctuated and without initial capitalization--vary in function, alternating the oblique delivery of facts with often lovely metaphor. The section "What's in a Name?" begins factually: "scientific names / (two-word Latin tongue twisters) / prevent confusion." The next verse shifts whimsically: "Ginkgo biloba: / hungry mouths chomp chewy greens-- / dinosaur salad." Walker's imagery is deft, as in these assonant lines: "covered with gray fur / pussywillow catkins cling: / kittens on slim twigs." The scope is impressive; sweeping across eons, from ancient tree ferns to urban forests, Walker covers seed reproduction, the nutritive function of xylem and phloem tubes, leaf biology, environmental symbiosis, and forest habitats. Mckay's gouache illustrations emphasize stylized charm over visual verisimilitude, sidestepping opportunities to visually extend the distilled text. A tree's concentric growth circles, well explained in the backmatter, get a cartoonish treatment, while the "Leaf Laboratories" section chiefly presents leaves as indistinguishable blobs on branches. Simple labels might have allayed confusion between xylem tubes and phloem tubes. People in treehouses and parks are diverse. An excellent six-page informational section expands on the text's 10 topic areas. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Despite some misalignment between form and content, an attractive, informative presentation. (timeline, information on trees, author's note, glossary, bibliography, books, websites) (Informational picture book/poetry. 6-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Sally M. Walker is the award-winning author of more than sixty books for children, including the companion books Earth Verse: Haiku from the Ground Up , illustrated by William Grill, and Out of This World: Star-Studded Haiku , illustrated by Matthew Trueman. She is also the author of Underground Fire: Hope , Sacrifice , and Courage in the Cherry Mine Disaster ; Sinking the Sultana : A Civil War Story of Imprisonment , Greed , and a Doomed Journey Home ; Boundaries: How the Mason-Dixon Line Settled a Family Feud and Divided a Nation ; and Champion: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree , an Orbis Pictus Honor Book. Sally M. Walker lives in Illinois.

Angela Mckay is an illustrator and textile designer. She draws her inspiration from many places, including the natural world, overseas travel adventures, museums, vintage books, and films. She works primarily in gouache and watercolor. Trees: Haiku from Roots to Leaves is her picture book debut. Angela Mckay lives in Perth, Australia.