Children’s Book Reviews


Little Tree Change is difficult, and can be scary. Little Tree is the story of a tree who is happy with the way his life is. As told by Loren Long, he has little leaves that keep him cool in the heat of summer, other tree friends surrounding him and squir- rels and birds that like to play on


his branches. Slowly, autumn begins to roll in, and life begins to change. His leaves change colour, and the other trees drop their leaves. However, Little Tree is too afraid. He doesn’t know what will happen if he lets them go. As the seasons change, so do the other trees, but Little Tree does not. Because he did not drop his leaves in the fall, he does not grow in the spring. Seasons come and go, and the forest grows, but he is still afraid to change. Eventually, Little Tree is ready. Although it was a little scary at first, he eventually grows into a tall tree like the others, and all the animals want to play on his branches again. The Little Tree is an inspirational story of courage and overcoming challenges to embrace and understand the importance of change and personal growth. With vibrant, beautiful artwork, this story will be loved by all from toddlers to adults. – (BT)


Penguin Canada, 2015, 978-0-399-16397-5 (hb). 40pp., US $17.99/CDN $19.99 from www.penguin.com/youngreaders


Fabulous Frogs For anyone fascinated by frogs, Fabulous Frogs, is a fun and informative non-fiction picture book. Martin Jenkins introduces the huge variety of sizes, adapta- tions and abilities of frogs from around the world. The reader first learns what the more than 5,000


different kinds of frogs have in common. Then in the fol- lowing pages, learns what makes some of them unique. Small type gives further explanation to the larger story- book text, often letting us know in what part of the world that type of frog can be found. The simplistic illustra- tions by Tim Hopgood are colourful and engaging. This book is written for K-3 students and would be helpful when introducing adaptation to young children. – (VU)


Candlewick Press, 2015 ISBN: 978-0-7636-8100-5 (hb), 32 pp., CDN $22.00, from <www.candlewick.com>


Awesome is Everywhere With a tap on the Earth your journey begins. In Neil Pasricha’s Awesome is Everywhere, imaginative thinking and reader interaction are encouraged with every turn of the page. We begin the exploration by zooming in to Earth’s surface from space, closer and closer, illustrated using aerial and composite photographs. As we actively touch, tip, shake, and blow the pages, an awesome jour- ney unfolds from beach, to waves, to underwater until we see a magnified view of grains of sand. Children ages 3


to 7 will enjoy participating in this awesome journey through active en- gagement and thoughtful meditation. Moments of mindfulness practice ask the reader to pause and reflect on the sights, sounds and textures in na- ture. All the while asking the reader to wonder about the awesomeness of


nature, both distant and right where you are. – (PMD)


Puffin Canada, 2015, ISBN 978-0-670-06933-0 (hb), 32pp., CAN $21.99 from: www.puffinbooks.ca


A Friend for Lakota In A Friend for Lakota: The Incredible True Story of a Wolf Who Braved Bullying, the reader watches as the young wolf pup grows up. Through Lakota’s story, as told by Jim and Jamie Dutcher, we learn about wolves and their pack behaviour and how this timid


but playful wolf is affected by such behaviours. As the pack grows, the omega Lakota is bullied by the bigger and stronger wolves. However, the beta wolf takes a stand and befriends him. Together they are able to be themselves and help each other out. The amazing photographs taken by the authors, as they lived and studied this wolf pack over six years, give us a glimpse into these creatures lives. It’s a beautifully laid out story, with great attention to detail, which leaves us wanting to learn more. The back of the book helps to provide some of this information, along with linking to further resources for this journey. For K-3 stu- dents the story will also provide a unique way to approach the subject of bullying and the power of friendship. – (VU)


National Geographic Society, 2015 ISBN: 978-1-4263-2082-8 (hb), 32pp., US $16.99/CDN $19.99, from <www.kids.national- geographic.com>


Lighting the Earth There is so much extraordinary beauty packed into Lighting the Earth. The story, told by Diane Lynne Hoffman, can be used to discuss many different topics for happiness, growth and development. The author shows us the true love and amazing


bond between mother and child, as mother nourishes her child to discover herself, her purpose and her passion. As daughter grows, she becomes passionate about protecting the Earth, and the importance of caring for our rivers. Most prominently though, the book beautifully describes how each and every person has a unique purpose in life. Mama helps her daughter to see her inner shining light and guides her to understand what her light means. Hoffman’s writing makes you feel the story, as you find yourself looking for your own inner light. The illustra- tions of Karen Brough bring to life the characters and add


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