What do you think?
Once There Was a Tree
An old stump attracts many living creatures.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
July 30, 2013
Who owns the tree? (hippie Communist rhetoric follows)
Izzy: the bear owns the tree. He got there first.
Me: No he didn't, but he owns the tree because he could beat any of the others in a fight. Well except the man, if the man has a gun. So maybe the man owns the tree
Izzy: the bear owns the tree. He got there first.
Me: No he didn't, but he owns the tree because he could beat any of the others in a fight. Well except the man, if the man has a gun. So maybe the man owns the tree
November 13, 2014
3.75 Stars This book was not at all what I thought it would be. With a bear on the cover and "Once there was a tree" I figured it was a story about a bear and tree. It so much more.
The Tree doesn't belong to just the bear, or the titmouse, or the ants, or the earwig, or the caterpillar, or the flies, or the frogs or the man!
"The Tree belongs to all, because it grows from the earth that is home for all!"
The Tree doesn't belong to just the bear, or the titmouse, or the ants, or the earwig, or the caterpillar, or the flies, or the frogs or the man!
"The Tree belongs to all, because it grows from the earth that is home for all!"
October 1, 2018
Summary:
Once There was a Tree is a story about a tree in the forest that was split into two by lightning when a storm was occurring. After the storm stopped, a woodsman came and sawed the tree, and then only a stump remains. Bugs began to infest the stump. Animals came along and admired the stump. The stump also became a shelter for small reptiles. A man eventually came and sat on the stump. But who did the stump belong to? Everyone. Then, after time, the stump became a tree again.
Evaluation:
I really enjoyed this book because I thought that it held deep meaning, and it allows readers to think that something deeply that they usually see everyday. The story shows how one object can be so many different things to other humans, animals, and insects, and it teaches students about how living things (a tree) evolves. I would definitely have this book in my classroom to teacher lessons and have students read independently.
Teaching Idea:
I think that this book would be a great tool for a science lesson about ecosystems or anything subject that involves life cycles of living things. This book shows students how as simple as a tree stump can provide shelter, be considered a home, and be of admiration for animals. This book really goes in depth, and I think that it is a great way to teach students about science, but also how to think deeper.
Once There was a Tree is a story about a tree in the forest that was split into two by lightning when a storm was occurring. After the storm stopped, a woodsman came and sawed the tree, and then only a stump remains. Bugs began to infest the stump. Animals came along and admired the stump. The stump also became a shelter for small reptiles. A man eventually came and sat on the stump. But who did the stump belong to? Everyone. Then, after time, the stump became a tree again.
Evaluation:
I really enjoyed this book because I thought that it held deep meaning, and it allows readers to think that something deeply that they usually see everyday. The story shows how one object can be so many different things to other humans, animals, and insects, and it teaches students about how living things (a tree) evolves. I would definitely have this book in my classroom to teacher lessons and have students read independently.
Teaching Idea:
I think that this book would be a great tool for a science lesson about ecosystems or anything subject that involves life cycles of living things. This book shows students how as simple as a tree stump can provide shelter, be considered a home, and be of admiration for animals. This book really goes in depth, and I think that it is a great way to teach students about science, but also how to think deeper.
August 30, 2018
Summary: There was an old tree that was struck by lightening. It was split, so a man cut it down. Lots of different animals used the stump, so they thought it was theirs. But no one actually owned the stump. It belongs to all. Now the stump is gone and a new tree is in its place. All of the same animals use that tree now. It belongs to all.
Evaluation: I did not love this book overall. There did not seem to be a valuable lesson at the end. It was sweet that all the animals loved the stump. It would be a good picture book for lower grade students.
Teaching Idea: For this book, I would use the book to teach about animals. Lots of different animals used the tree stump as their home and for other uses. I would use that as a teaching point and have a whole group discussion about ways to use a tree.
Evaluation: I did not love this book overall. There did not seem to be a valuable lesson at the end. It was sweet that all the animals loved the stump. It would be a good picture book for lower grade students.
Teaching Idea: For this book, I would use the book to teach about animals. Lots of different animals used the tree stump as their home and for other uses. I would use that as a teaching point and have a whole group discussion about ways to use a tree.
January 14, 2021
My feelings of this book has not changed since I saw this beautiful cover when I was a little girl. This book came out the year I was born, and I have read it numerous times through-out my lifetime. It is so beautifully written and illustrated. Re-reading as an adult, it is still perfect, it is one of my pride possessions. Have you heard of that question... if you could save so many things from a fire, what would they be? Out of the list, this children picture book would be one.
I love how well my memory remembers this tale. In the spoilers I put my favorite sentence, yet it is a major spoiler for the book.
I love how well my memory remembers this tale. In the spoilers I put my favorite sentence, yet it is a major spoiler for the book.
February 28, 2023
Found at the used bookstore where I volunteer, an older book published first in the Soviet Union, a wonderful one to add to all the books about trees that have been coming out in recent years. All kinds of creatures own a tree stump after it has been cut down, but is it solely owned by each? Or, another lesson is learned that the tree belongs to the earth, of which we are all a part. The book received many awards when it finally arrived in the United States. The illustrator Spirin evidently was a gifted artist and his illustrations of the tree and the animals are divine! If you can find it, you'll enjoy it!
December 1, 2024
Grade: Kindergarten-3rd
Genre: Fable
This beautifully illustrated story follows the life of an old tree stump, which, although no longer standing tall, continues to serve as a source of life and shelter for various creatures. Birds, animals, insects, and even humans find ways to use the stump for their needs, demonstrating the interconnectedness of nature and the enduring value of every living thing. This is a great easy read that teaches kindness, i recommend this book.
Genre: Fable
This beautifully illustrated story follows the life of an old tree stump, which, although no longer standing tall, continues to serve as a source of life and shelter for various creatures. Birds, animals, insects, and even humans find ways to use the stump for their needs, demonstrating the interconnectedness of nature and the enduring value of every living thing. This is a great easy read that teaches kindness, i recommend this book.
April 23, 2024
The perfect book to read for Earth Day. This timeless treasure, originally published in Russian over 40 years ago has a beautiful message for children and adults alike. Gorgeous artwork too! It was a real find at our local Friends of the Library bookstore for only 25 cents, but we’ll be keeping it in our collection for years to come.
May 21, 2025
I picked up the book because I loved the art and thought it would teach about plants and animals and how creatures live in nature. Then it started to get weird and ended with a heavy-handed communist message. So, no thanks.
September 23, 2025
The story of a tree after it no longer stands tall and falls to become food, shelter, and tools for other living beings.
A testament to the “after the end” that we are all part of
Used: lend from JC library
A testament to the “after the end” that we are all part of
Used: lend from JC library
June 24, 2017
Beautiful illustrations. The story was somewhat lacking.
December 6, 2018
Ehhh. Glad I didn't pay interlibrary loan fees for this.
January 1, 2019
A good think about book for story time and earth day.
October 6, 2019
Beautiful art and a lovely story with a great point.
March 12, 2023
Beautiful illustrations and a great lesson on the cycle of life and how we're all connected. Yet another great find at My Favorite Books in Tallahassee.
June 29, 2024
Enchanting illustrations and a beautiful story of nature and our relationship with it.
March 14, 2019
I expected more from this book. It starts out pretty strong, as it introduces different animals and people with relationships to a single tree that has been chopped down. The latter half of the book starts to wax philosophical, however, and it loses its momentum and ends on a weirdly sentimental and ambiguous note.
March 14, 2017
It's about how nature belongs to no one and everyone.
March 26, 2020
This is a simple tale, beautifully written by the author and beautifully illustrated by Gennady Spirin.
This is a circle of life tale. An old tree was hit by lightening, and it was split in half.
A woodsman saw the damaged tree, and he took his ax to chop it down, leaving it open for the beetles to lay their eggs in the stomp. the eggs became full grown beetles who flex away, leaving the tunnels open for ants to make the stump their home.
Next, a large bear sharpened her claws on the stump, leaving long, deep gashes in the wood. When a Titmouse approached, she ate a caterpillar that an ant claimed. Now, the ants belonged to the Titmouse bird. But so too did the stump belong to the frog who found a hole in with to clime into.
Later an earwig came along, and so too did a man who was walking through the woods on a stormy night.
Since it was the nature of every inhabitant to claim to stump, the author asks who really owns the stump?
And, in the end, nature belongs to all. And the cycle of life and death continues. As a new tree grows where the old tree lived.
Four stars for a beautiful story with excellent illustrations.
This is a circle of life tale. An old tree was hit by lightening, and it was split in half.
A woodsman saw the damaged tree, and he took his ax to chop it down, leaving it open for the beetles to lay their eggs in the stomp. the eggs became full grown beetles who flex away, leaving the tunnels open for ants to make the stump their home.
Next, a large bear sharpened her claws on the stump, leaving long, deep gashes in the wood. When a Titmouse approached, she ate a caterpillar that an ant claimed. Now, the ants belonged to the Titmouse bird. But so too did the stump belong to the frog who found a hole in with to clime into.
Later an earwig came along, and so too did a man who was walking through the woods on a stormy night.
Since it was the nature of every inhabitant to claim to stump, the author asks who really owns the stump?
And, in the end, nature belongs to all. And the cycle of life and death continues. As a new tree grows where the old tree lived.
Four stars for a beautiful story with excellent illustrations.
July 13, 2016
I'm torn with this book. The illustrations are exquisite (I'm a fan of Spirin), but I feel like they would be lost on anything but a one-on-one read. The messages of the book--we all belong to each other, our actions all touch each other, the earth is our home, etc--would be great to share in a storytime. *sigh* What to do?
February 6, 2011
Gorgeous illustrations highlight this book about nature and the way that various creatures can live together and create an ecosystem, even within the confines of a tree stump. The narrative is simple and the story is a lesson in science.
August 31, 2012
Grade 3 Fiction Topic: Tress
Use to talk about how a tree can be used in so many different ways in our Ecosystem. Show the students how things change and can be used for different thing during different seasons.
Use to talk about how a tree can be used in so many different ways in our Ecosystem. Show the students how things change and can be used for different thing during different seasons.
January 20, 2009
Cute story about who really owns a tree stump.
July 22, 2011
The illustrations are beautiful. It's a funny book because of the socialist message. It was originally published in Russia in 1985.
July 27, 2011
absolutely gorgeous, tremendously detailed illustrations, and the text stands up to them nicely.
September 20, 2011
Warm drawings. Interesting nature lesson.
September 7, 2015
I loved EVERYTHING about this book.!
January 6, 2008
This is a great children's book, excellent story and fantastic illustration.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews