Available:*
Library | Call Number | Status |
---|---|---|
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake) | PICTURE BOOK CRE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove) | PICTURE BOOK CRE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | PICTURE BOOK CRE | Searching... Unknown |
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | PICTURE BOOK CRE | Searching... Unknown |
Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
Inspired by the 2013 Black Forest fire and told from the viewpoint of a tree watching its home destroyed, Hello, Tree is about the kinship between humans and nature, and preservation of the environment.
It was a swallow who called it first.
"Fire's coming!"
And the animals ran away.
Even the insects tried to flee.
The girl and her family left, too.
All I could do...was wait.
When a wildfire comes roaring into the forest, all the animals and humans flee. But all the tree can do is wait. Wait until many days and nights pass. Wait until the fire loses the battle. And wait until the forest is still before the forest can be reborn and the animals and the girl can come back.
Author Notes
Ana Crespo's favorite pastime is traveling around the country, visiting some of the most beautiful places around. She has visited all lower forty-eight states and many national parks. In 2013, she was returning home from her native Brazil when she saw the smoke that indicated the beginning of the Black Forest fire in Colorado. This story is inspired by what came after. Find out more about Ana at AnaCrespoBooks.com. Dow Phumiruk (last name pronounced Poo' mee ruck) is a pediatrician who has found her passion in creating children's books. She's the illustrator of many children's book, including Maya Lin, Artist-Architect of Light and Lines and Counting on Katherine. She lives in Colorado with her husband, three artistic daughters, and a handful of small pets.
Reviews (2)
Horn Book Review
Crespo gives readers a story of a forest fire and its aftermath from the point of view of one who has been there: a tree. A ponderosa pine, to be exact. This one grew from a sapling in a forest clearing and describes its comfortable surroundings and those who keep it company: a family in a nearby house, animals, and other trees. But one hot and windy summer night, lightning strikes and ignites a massive fire, forcing all to flee, except the rooted-in-place tree. "All I could do...was wait." A double-page spread of vignettes shows firefighters saving animals and fighting flames, and, in a small deviation from point of view, the tree's human neighbors in a local shelter. Finally, "fire lost the battle." Two dramatic illustrations, nearly devoid of color, depict a charred landscape, with our narrator, and a few of its neighboring conifers, still standing. Soon, life returns. Spare prose outlines the process of recovery while the watercolor and digital illustrations provide a full picture of people rebuilding a home and planting seedlings, birds returning, and forest animals adapting to the changed surroundings. Concluding notes, geared to an older audience, trace the general sequence of events in forest fires, beginning with their inception and outlining both the immediate and long-term effects. Appended with a bibliography. See also Wildfire! on page 90. Betty Carter November/December 2021 p.68(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A steadfast pine tree grows alongside a young girl. The tree narrates, describing how the pair play together and provide each other comfort and companionship. Life is serene in the forest clearing where both the girl's family's house and the tree are situated, until a lightning storm brings fire and chaos. Animals flee, and the girl and her family evacuate, leaving the tree alone. Miraculously, the tree survives, yet destruction is all around. Charred trunks, barren land, and the ruins of the girl's home have replaced the verdant lushness of the thriving forest. Nature finds a way though, and through the combined efforts of the human and animal communities (the latter never anthropomorphized), the forest regrows, and the cycle of stewardship is passed along to the next generation. Though told from the tree's perspective, this quietly powerful tale of ecological awareness will prompt reflection about readers' own roles in coexisting with and protecting nature. The simple, evocative text captures the placid, ever faithful voice of the tree and pairs well with the detailed illustrations. The deep greens of the mature forest project a strong sense of reassurance and vitality that effectively contrasts with the bleak browns, blacks, and grays of the post-fire scenes. The girl and her family have black hair and olive skin. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Both an appreciation of nature and an ultimately hopeful reminder about our symbiotic relationship with it. (additional facts, author's notes) (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.