Be a Friend to Trees

Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2

by Patricia Lauber, Holly Keller (Illustrator)

Read and find out about trees in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book. Why should you be a friend to trees? Trees are a valuable natural resource. People depend on trees for food, and animals depend on trees for food and shelter. But most important, we depend on trees because they add oxygen, a gas we all need, to the air. While trees give us many wonderful products, we must also protect them because we can't live without them. This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It's a Level 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series Top 10 reasons to love Books in this series support the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Plants, School

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Patricia Lauber is the author of more than sixty-five books for young readers. Many of them are in the field of science, and their range reflects the diversity of her own interests - bats, dolphins, dogs, volcanoes, earthquakes, the ice ages, the Everglades, the planets, and earthworms.

Two of her books, SEEDS: POP STICK GLIDE and JOURNEY TO THE PLANETS, were nonfiction nominees for The American Book Award. She was the 1983 winner of The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for her overall contribution to children's nonfiction literature.

As well as writing books, Ms. Lauber has been editor of Junior Scholastic, editor-in-chief of Science World, and chief editor, science and mathematics, of The New Book of Knowledge.

A graduate of Wellesley College, she is married and lives in Connecticut. When not writing, she enjoys hiking, sailing, traveling, cooking, reading, and listening to music.

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I like trees. I did not like this book because I did not like the part when it told me that people were cutting down trees.

[Jaden]

Informational Book

This is a cute book that explains the importance of trees. The reader can learn that everything made out of wood was once part of a tree. They can also learn how different each kind of tree looks and what other animals and creatures depend on trees. Most importantly, readers can learn that trees produce oxygen and it is important to take care of the trees because we could not live without them.

[Emily Gerstenschlager · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read 6/2/21
Genre: Nonfiction
Grade Level: K-3
This is a great book to use for a lesson about nonfiction or informational books as well as science lessons about trees or photosynthesis. There is a lot of good information for students to learn from this book. I also like how the book incorporated some questions throughout such as "What do you see around you that is made from trees?" which will help engage students.

[Chez Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very informative book about our environment. Nice for teaching younger children about the earth.

[Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like trees. This was good and had great ideas for students.

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My four-year-old adored this book—especially learning many of the uses of trees. He is loving this whole series; I'm so glad we decided to systematically pursue it.

[Bailey Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to have in the classroom and in any library. This could be used for a variety of grades including K-6. The book breaks down how trees work, their importance to our ecosystem, uses for food and much more. Each page gives very valuable information and is loaded with pictures for better comprehension for younger students. The final pages are a great resource for children as it explains, "How to be Friends to Trees." Great read and great information included!

[Tanya Bornstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a great book for children to understand why we have trees and their use. This book will have children excited to take care of their trees. They will now know that we must protect trees because we can't live without them.

Content:
1. Everything made from wood was once part of a tree.
2. Wood is chopped into small pieces, mixed with chemicals, and heated to make paper and cardboard.
3. Both people and animals need trees of all kinds, shapes, and sizes.




L.R:learn about
why we need trees, how trees are important
to us, and what the effects are when trees are
cut down or fall down. They will learn how
they can be a friend to a tree and care for it.


1. Gather students in a circle. Have them close
their eyes and picture a tree that they know,
maybe in their yard, maybe by their school,
in a park they go to often, at a place where
they vacation. Ask: Why do you care about
this tree? Why is this tree important to
you? Why do you need this tree? How
does this tree help you? Have each child
give one response and record their
responses.

2. Give students clipboards, paper and pencils.
Ask: How many things do you see that
come from trees? Take five minutes and
write down (or draw) as many things as
you can find and list them on your paper.

3. Record answers and tally responses.

4. Read the book: “Be A Friend to Trees,”
by Patricia Lauber.

5. Ask: What happens when a tree is cut
down? What if there were no trees? How
can you be a friend to a tree? Record responses
to last question.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book for lower elementary school children. It is a story that helps tell kids what they use that are tree products and ways that they can be a friend to a tree! It shows pictures of different trees and names them. This was a good informational book for younger children because it helps show them what they do can actually affect the environment. My favorite part was at the end of the book where the author gave instructions on how to plant a tree. I think this is a great book that could go along with a lesson about conservation. The author gave lots of examples of ways that people use tree products that they had not known before.
This book hit on plenty of the common core standards for second graders. It hit standard 1, because the book answered questions of what recycling was. It also described the way that we treat the Earth affects us, which is standard 3. It used bolded words and definitions which is standard 5. It also described the trees it drew which was very visual, which goes along with standard 7. I could keep going on, but this is a perfect informational text book for younger readers. I enjoyed the pictures and different ways the author showed us how to conserve.

[Dariana Carlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Be a Friend to Trees" discusses the importance of trees. It describes how trees can be a home and food for various animals, as providers of fruits and nuts for humans, as sources of wood and paper, and as conservers of soil. There is words and pictures that demonstrate the process of photosynthesis. It also shows step-by-step how trees make food in their leaves and how they release the oxygen we need to breathe. There is a section that provides hands-on examples for recycling paper and shows how to plant a tree.

This book is an informational text because it explains how important trees are. It also contains step by step procedures. The book displayed pictures of trees with text right next to it to provide the name. The book answers questions like who, what, when, where, and how. The book would be considered an informational text because of the connections between scientific ideas, or concepts, steps in technical procedures in text. The pictures would also be informative. This book would be great when teaching a lesson about earth or photosynthesis.

[Kathryn Brunk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and its message. The content is science. This book starts off kind of vague and goes into great description about trees and everything they are used for. It even simply describes photosynthesis. It would go great with recycle lessons and trying to promote a “green” classroom. The book ends on a note that we need trees to live. I would love to use this with recycling lessons and also with gardening lessons. I think it would be fun to start a recycling bin and to plant flowers or little trees.

[Paige Lofton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very informational about trees and just plants in general. The author does a great job of explaining what trees do and how they are helpful to not only humans but to animals as well. Looking at the pictures on the pages really catches your eye because they are so well done and there are different kinds of trees on each page. I love how the different trees are labeled and how there are illustrations depicting the leaves and animals. The ending of this book is great as well because it gives examples of how you can do your part to protect the trees.

[Deborah Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked it. It was very educational. I loved the cute pictures and how different trees were named on each page. I liked reading to the students about breathing in oxygen and out carbon dioxide and vice versa for trees. I liked all the aspects about the trees - from enjoying their shade, to paper and wood, to syrup, turpentine, and rubber, to fruit and nuts and chocolate, to nests and hollows, and so on. A lot was covered, without being super long. I also liked how kids can be friends in the back.

ABookWithIllustratedPeopleOnTheCover

[Blakeley Norris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an environmentally friendly book for children. It has pictures of different tpes of trees and names them. It tells what things come from trees and what trees can be used to make. Trees can also be food for different animals and people (fruit). Trees are also our friends because they are homes for many different animals. Trees also give us oxygen to breathe. The end of the books states how to be friends with a tree, which is by planting a tree and by recycling.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Students can learn the value of having trees and plants. We depend on trees for food, shelter and even the air that we breathe. Children can learn that responsible citizens cherish trees and even help plant them.

[Melissa Housholder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great non-fiction book explaining the importance of trees. Describes many of the uses of trees and show processes such as how paper is made. Also has labels throughtout the book for different types of trees. Would be a wonderful Earth Day read or something similar to that.

[CanadianReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book addressing the importance of trees to humans and other creatures. Trees supply us with wood, paper, fruit/nuts, and oxygen. My only criticism is that the book lacks a glossary. PM Benchmark level: 24

[Ms. Pierce]

Caleb says: This book tells you about trees and how you can be a friend to them. You can learn a lot from it, and it is a very nice book to read.

[Lena Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great non-fiction book about trees. It gives great facts with descriptive pictures about parts and types of trees. It also shows the importance of trees, and how they are vital to us.

[Mina Saeed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book to teach children about caring about trees, and things around us.
To appreciate all the things we have and things that are around us to use.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource to discuss the trees and their attributes, types, uses, etc. Informative illustrations and diagrams with labels included.

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 13802 EN Nonfiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 3.3 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP