The Things That I LOVE about TREES

by Chris Butterworth, Charlotte Voake (Illustrator)

In an exuberant text accompanied by gorgeous, windswept illustrations, two esteemed picture-book creators celebrate the mighty tree.

Journey through the seasons and discover how much there is to love about trees! From brand-new buds in spring to the sound of the wind whooshing through the leaves in summer, from the fall colors to the feel of winter’s rough bark and the promise of spring returning again — no matter what time of year, there’s always something extraordinary to notice about the trees around your neighborhood. Chris Butterworth’s text, gently sprinkled with facts, captures the wonder of a child as Charlotte Voake’s busy, buoyant artwork conveys how something as simple and common as a tree can feel like magic taking root around you.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

CHRIS BUTTERWORTH is the author of more than seventy nonfiction books for children on such diverse subjects as influenza, Antarctic exploration, and Ancient Egypt. "A sea horse looks as magical as a mermaid," she says, "but sea horses really exist. We need to know as much as we can about them, so we can protect them."

Reviews

[Stace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com

The Things That I LOVE about TREES is a non-fiction book about the cycle of trees through the seasons starting with Spring when the trees are just getting their new buds and starting to grow after the winter.

The book follows the trees through Summer and their thick leaves shading the grown below, to Autumn and the leaves turning a rich brown colour and into winter when they lose their leave.

Amongst the reasons why a little girl loves the trees, there is also factual information about the life of trees too.

The book is quick to read and contains lots of factual information including a section at the back for parents and teachers too which will come in handy.

The illustrations are full-page but I can’t say that I like them very much, they are too blurry and not colourful enough. At times there is a mention of a plum tree but there is no plum colour, in my experience bright colourful illustrations attract children to the pages better. Perhaps with this being a non-fiction book the illustrator decided to tone the colours down, I’m not sure.

The information is interesting and there is a section at the back for how children can play using the trees, making the book interactive. A nice read that would work best, in my opinion, as a class read.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I love Charlotte Blake's illustrations, lovely, free, messy, pen and ink, subtly coloured with watercolour. I love the subject, I find it sad that most children or even adults can't identify their country's indigenous trees. To me, teaching a child what a tree is called is basic stuff, not knowing this is like not knowing your alphabet. The story was perhaps a little vague if the aim of the book was to tell children about trees, it was ambiguous what some trees were, I suspect the illustrator and perhaps the writer wasn't familiar with trees-which seems a bit silly in a book titled The Things I Love About Trees. Still, a nice enough book encouraging children to appreciate nature and the seasons.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful illustrations and the seasonal wonder of trees.

[Cecelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve mentioned this on Instagram before, but one of my local indie bookshops is just down the street from the place I get my hair done. I stop by to browse their picture books nearly every time I walk by, and thus I buy their latest selection, because I have several little ones in my life and no self-control in bookstores. I picked up Chris Butterworth and Charlotte Voake’s The Things That I Love About Trees the last time I was there, and I really adore it.

There’s just something wonderful about trees, isn’t there? I’ve always thought so, and I especially thought so growing up in the Pacific Northwest with a front yard full of trees, forts, and pine needles. Chris Butterworth’s nonfiction picture book about trees leads readers through the seasons, starting with spring, and describes how trees act and grow in the changing environment.

The Things That I Love About Trees invites engagement with the senses – Butterworth tells readers how trees react to hot days and storms, reminds them what to listen for, and describes the feel of bark and leaves. It may be printed on traditional paper, but it is a sensual buffet. It made me want to go outside on a tree-spotting walk, and I’m sure others will feel the same!

This book is perfect for a range of young readers – very little ones will love the illustrations and simplicity of the big text story that goes on a seasonal journey. Slightly older and independent readers will enjoy the brief tree facts in smaller text on each page. Adults will appreciate the book’s year-round readability, as each season in a tree’s life cycle is represented. The combination of beautiful art and interesting tree facts ensure that this book will be re-read over and over with love.

Oh, did I mention the art? Charlotte Voake’s illustrations are done in beautiful ink and watercolor, with broad, abstract strokes contrasted with precise, tiny details. The illustrations allow for generous white space on most pages, and the humans and animals included in the illustrations provide scale to trees (and keep the book from being an overwhelming smorgasbord of greenery). The human figures are mostly fairly indistinct – trees are the focus of the book, after all! The pages depicting enormous summer-time tree trunks were perhaps my favorite – they reminded me of the great trees I’ve seen in my life.

My two personal favorite things about the book were the endpapers, which feature close-ups with different kinds of tree leaves and their identifying information, and the final page spread at the end which suggests tree-adjacent activities and guides younger readers in how to do research! The author doesn’t talk down to his young readers, and that’s always nice to see.

In all, The Things That I Love About Trees is full of facts that will delight curious kids, and perhaps prompt them to want to learn more (and see more)!

Recommended for: tree-lovers and -huggers of all ages, young readers who want to know how things work, fans of Kate Messner's Over and Under the Snow, and teachers doing environmental, natural world, and season-focused units.

[Samantha Mairson-Dougherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

First, the inviting watercolor and ink illustrations created a friendly, Winnie-the-Pooh-like vibe. Second, the text was easy to read aloud to a toddler. Third, I liked the seasons, the sense of place, and the character… the character was any kid, every kid. It worked. Fourth, I appreciated the smaller text of the factoids. The book was dreamy while remaining factual. It was poetic while rooting itself in truths that I want to understand. I enjoyed talking about the book with my child and to see his sense of wonder expand. The smaller text felt optional, an invitation to dig deeper if I felt up to it. Finally, I appreciated the index and the nature activities suggested after the story.

[Jeimy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A year in the life of a plum tree.

[Cat Strawberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another great book that’s part of the Nature Storybooks collection of picture books for kids. ‘The Things That I LOVE About TREES’ is a paperback that’s a bit smaller than A4 in size. It’s filled with glossy thick pages that are themselves filled with both illustrations and text. This book focuses on trees and in particular, what happens to them throughout the seasons.

The book follows a girl as she talks about why she loves trees. She begins by talking about trees in spring. Along with her own observations of why she loves trees which is written in large font, there is also smaller text with more details about the various things to do with trees such as mentioning that they use the sun to make food, or how much water they consume in a day (something I didn’t actually know!). This smaller text contains interesting information and for me formed the better parts of the book.

Although the story is simple and fun, I wasn’t really engaged so much in the girl’s tale but rather the more factual info that was dotted around the illustrations. The pictures in this book are good, they are not my favourite style of illustration – I personally prefer more detailed, cuter images, but I did enjoy the way the trees looked and the animals that were pictured on certain pages too. I especially like what is on the outer pages of the book (before and after the story there are double page spreads), there are pictures of different types of leaves with the name of the tree they come from. These double pages alone make the book better and it was fun for me to learn the different leaves.

I do like this book but I just don’t feel as engaged as I have with some of the other Nature Storybooks. It’s a good book to get kids interested in trees and nature though and there is some information for parents and teachers at the back on how the book can be used to help kids learn and get interested. Overall I think it’s a nice book but I’d prefer it too have a bit more detail or a better more engaging story of the girl’s love of trees.
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy for review.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello friends! Our book today is The Things That I Love About Trees, written by Chris Butterworth and illustrated by Charlotte Voake, a meditative ode to trees throughout the seasons.

A little girl and her friends spend time throughout the year playing among the trees and appreciating what makes them so lovely in each season. In the spring, their buds and blossoms begin to start, and change is in the air. By summer, their leaves are full and shady; in autumn, they turn every color and begin to fall. And in winter, they are quiet and still, and you can see all the way up to their tops. In addition to the girl’s musings, the reader is also treated to facts about trees on each page, so they can find their things to love about trees as well.

Informative and stunningly illustrated. While the story structure and contemplations of the girl hit fairly familiar beats on the subject, the intricate, sweeping art is what sets this book apart. The trees are so sumptuous and splendidly illustrated that it feels as if you can see them moving in the breeze, or hear the whispers and cracks of their branches, leaves, and bark. The factoids are fun too, providing basic trivia on trees and their seasonal cycles for little bookworms. The length is fine, and JJ loved the art. Equal parts science and poetry, and we enjoyed it very much. Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Riley Glover]

This book walks the reader through the different seasons of trees and how they look and feel in each season. The young child in the book talks about spring and that they love it because so many things start to bloom and they see so many changes. Then they talk about summer and how big the trees look in summer because they do a lot of growing in this season. And of course the child in the book discusses fall and how all the leaves start to change to all types of different colors. And then there is winter where everything starts to look a little bare. Throughout the book along with the child talking about the trees in the different seasons you can also find little hidden facts throughout the pages giving a little more information behind each thing that the child is saying.

This book was okay, it was not my favorite. For me I would not go and read it again but I still liked reading it once. I think it is a good depiction of the different seasons and how the trees change in many different ways.

This book could be used in a home setting or a classroom setting. To teach children the seasons of spring, summer, fall, and winter. There are very good illustrations in the book that depict the seasons pretty well. So that a child can visually see the difference in seasons whilst also hearing the changes that happen throughout the different seasons. So this might be taught in a science class or something like that. Or if a homeschooler wanted to know more about this seasons this would be a good simple book to read.

[Lena Dallas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book: "The Things That I Love about Trees." Initially the thing that stands out most to me are the lovely illustrations! They are rather simplistic, but this is what I think makes this book so beautiful. The cover pages are also very unique with a variety of clippings such a Oak and Birch leaves.

This book is written from the perspective of a little girl. We are not only learning about trees, but we are also learning of the changing seasons. We begin with spring time and discusses the typical spring time changes. The next season that is discussed is summer and the little girl uses examples to talk about the large trees like saying they are as big as buildings. When the little girl talks about the leaves changing color during the fall weather she says the leaves look like pumpkin orange or fire-engine red. During the harsh weather in the winter the little girl talks about the roots holding the tree in place.

I think this was such a fun story. It was not only fun it was educational too and filled with many facts. I would use this in a future classroom to learn about plants or it could be used during a holiday such as earth day. It would be so fun to read this book outside with the students, perhaps even under a tree. You could create an assignment that would have children collect leaves from various trees. I would also use a book like this when the seasons are changing because this book addresses seasonal changes in a very comprehendible way.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes a very simple look at trees throughout the seasons of one year. I like that at the beginning of each season it talks about one thing that is loved the most about trees in that season. It reminded me a little of The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown. While it looks at trees in general, it also focuses on one plum tree and how it specifically changes over time. As you read the sparse and poetic text, it gives you other scientific facts in smaller text on the page - much like the book White Owl, Barn Owl does. The end of the book has a section that promotes being outside for children and what wonderful things you can do outside around trees. We need kids to get outside more and appreciate the world around them for a wealth of reasons. I applaud the author and illustrator of this book for providing a chance for students to learn more about the fun in the great outdoors.

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This charming book is about a young girl who loves trees. She points out all the lovely things about trees during each season from the flowers giving bees pollen, the squirrel and birds nests they hold, to the beautiful leaves that change colors and drop during the fall. She collects acorns, leaves, buds, and flowers from her trees and even takes naps in their shade.
I thought this book was an adorable read that walked us through things about trees that we don’t always notice even though we walk by them every day. The way the author gave us facts while also still making it into a storyline was very interesting and the illustrations to match were quite breathtaking.
I think I would include this in my future classroom library because it can help kids create a newfound appreciation for nature and trees. I could see myself using this in a lesson on the seasons to show them how trees change with each new season.

[Melody Sutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book went through the different seasons and talked about trees during that season and what he loves about them. The book starts in spring with the trees growing buds. Then moves into summer and how the trees look so big and give so much shade. In fall he loves how the leaves change color. And lastly in winter how the trees are so bare that you can see all the way to the top of them. I thought this book was okay. I was not very interested in it but the simplicity would be really good for younger kids. I also liked how they had different facts about trees in smaller text around the page. I would introduce this book by first asking them what they like about trees and then asking them what they know about the different seasons. Also after we finish the book we could do crafts about trees during different seasons.

[Chloe Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A non-fiction picture book all about the trees and changing seasons, which would be perfect for looking at the seasons and plants in KS1 science!
The book is full of interesting facts and descriptions of trees at different times throughout the year, paired with beautiful illustrations.
This book also includes ideas for activities relating to trees as well as notes for teachers and parents. I love the tree leaves and labels on the first and last pages! I think this book could teach children a lot about trees and appreciating nature as well as ideas for practice. The illustrations also provide a visual guide to the changes in seasons for children who may not have noticed these changes before too!
I have never read a non-fiction picture book before but this is fantastic, especially to support science learning in early primary school.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

We got this in an independent book shop in the adorable downtown area of Montpelier, VT in 2018. I wasn't super impressed with their selection of local books, but we had been in awe of how wooded New England is so it seemed fitting to get a book about trees. I like this book and the fun, almost abstract watercolor illustrations. The writing is pretty sparse and generic, but there are little facts about trees and seasons on each page that are interesting and give a little more content. My collection of children's books is growing a nice, little subset of books about trees and this is a cute addition.

[Ashley Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all about trees. It talks about the seasons and how the trees change. In the springtime the trees begin to bloom. In the summer the trees bloom flowers and look the biggest. In the winter the trees sleep and wait. The book also talks about how bees pollinate the trees and all the different things you can do with trees and leaves.

I liked this book. The illustrations are very cute. The story was educational, but also just cute. Who wouldn’t love this tree book?

This book could be used to teach about trees, seasons, and pollination. This would be a good book for science class.

[Reshamad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well executed! The illustrations are gorgeous. Charlotte Voake's colorful water color and messy pen and ink illustrations remind me of Quentin Blake's art style! Written in free verse style the story is narrated from a child's perspective. The child looks at trees as they change from season to season. Small snips of information are interspersed to give the reader a little more detail about the topic on the page. The flow of narrative is easy and gentle like the trees.
A good read for beginning readers and lower elementary grade children.

[Isaac Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that this book discussed all four season that the trees go through. They talk about how in the spring all the new buds start getting bigger on the tree. Bees are a huge role in cross pollinating the trees. It refers to the new leaves on the trees as the tree is waking up from the hard winter. The author mentions that in the summer she loves how big the trees get with all the leaves on. Then he mentions how the trees leaves change color and how pretty the leaves get. I would put this book in my classroom because of all the information it gives about trees. I enjoyed this book.

[Lauri Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lyrical look at trees with nonfiction sidebars on each page. Starting with buds in spring, growing big in summer, “the leaves swish like the sea.” Then changing color in the fall, and producing fruit. Strong and resting in the winter. Simple + info

[Joy Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute little story about a child's creativity with their love for trees and making little homes with branches, leaves, and other ways to be artistic with the trees. This is also teaches you about how trees change with each season.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information, sweet illustrations- a true gem of a book!

[Whole And · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storylike sprinkled with gentle bits of information.
Light and encouraging exploration of trees and nature.

[Angelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice introduction of trees and their seasonal changes. The illustrations are a bit underwhelming, though.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the pictures in this book, but the information about trees is a bit sparse.

[Jenna Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

2/11/20 Read with Julia

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely walk through the seasons.

[Charlotte Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to teach children about trees and their importance. The illustrations are nice. Great facts within the book.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.