Another Way to Climb a Tree

by Liz Garton Scanlon, Liz Garton Scanlon

When Lulu's feeling well, she climbs every tree in sight, especially
the tallest ones,
the ones with the widest branches,
the ones with the stickiest sap.

But when Lulu's sick, she's not allowed outside. She wonders if the trees are lonely without her. Maybe the birds are too.

Without Lulu, nobody climbs the trees but the sun. . . which casts a shadow on Lulu's wall. . . for her to climb.

A Neal Porter Book

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Fiction, Illness, Adventure, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 8, 2017

About the author

Liz Garton Scanlon is the author of numerous beloved books for young people, including the highly-acclaimed, Caldecott-honored picture book All the World, illustrated by Marla Frazee, two novels for middle grade readers, and an upcoming chapter book series. Her many other picture books include the ones she's co-authored with Audrey Vernick, like Bob, Not Bob and World's Best Class Plant. Ms. Scanlon is also a poet, a teacher and a frequent & popular presenter at schools, libraries and conferences. She serves on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in Austin, Texas.

Reviews

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story about a girl who has a thing for climbing trees!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lulu loved to climb trees. The taller, the knottier, the stickier, the better! But when she falls ill and is confined indoors, it seems that her arboreal adventures are over, at least for a while. Missing her favorite activity intensely, she becomes downhearted, until the shadow cast by a tree on her wall suggests a way she can still climb, even while indoors...

A sweet tale of a girl and her passion for trees, as well as for outdoor activity, Another Way to Climb a Tree is also a celebration of the power of imagination, as Lulu's solution to her problem involves a make-believe, shadow version of climbing. The artwork by Hadley Hooper, created in a print style, and then digitally remastered, is colorful and cute. Recommended to all young tree-climbers, and to anyone looking for picture-books about using the imagination to find solutions to boredom and unhappiness.

[Danielle]

Lovely language and color palette.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether actual or via the shadows on her wall, Lulu loves climbing trees. Lovely illustrations!

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one didn't do much for me. OK but not much more than that. Illustrations were nice. Somehow the whole package was just OK.

Who gets chicken pox or measles anymore anyway??

[Michael Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did...Did she straight up die at the end? Because I think she straight up died in the end.

Also, vaccinate your kids.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable!

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest, at the line "Lulu grows pale and quiet," I got real worried that this book was about to take a dark twist.

[Viviane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the illustrations

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. Lulu loves to climb trees, but when an illness keeps her inside she finds a way to keep herself in tree climbing shape.

Handsome illustrations make this a fine book especially good for a sick child.

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Girl becomes one with a tree in this story that could work for Earth Day, Arbor Day or anytime you want to celebrate the joy of trees. Fabulous illustrations!

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, lyrical language and delightful, retro-style illustrations comprise this deceptively simple story that gives readers a new perspective about climbing trees. Scanlon uses plain language to her advantage, allowing the reader to picture and feel the trees, and employs line breaks in a way that makes her prose become poetry in a delightfully rhythmic way, assisted by the repetition of certain phrases. Lulu is an adventurous character to whom everyone can relate when she becomes sick and stuck indoors. Her brilliant idea to ‘climb’ the tree’s shadow with her fingers will hopefully encourage readers to look at the world in a different way. Hooper’s illustrations beautifully enhance the text, using muted and nature-inspired tones at first, then dramatically jumping to saturated tones that drench the page when Lulu experiences a myriad of emotions while sick. The combination of these inspired illustrations and the gorgeous language makes for a highly thoughtful yet accessible picture book, that can be enjoyed by a variety of ages, especially young children ages 3-7.

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lulu loves to climb trees. She saves cats, retrieves kites and climbs trees that others won’t. When Lulu gets sick though, she can’t climb trees for awhile. She misses the trees and the trees and birds miss her too. As Lulu looks out of her window, only the sun is climbing the tree. But then she notices the tree’s shadow on her bedroom wall and Lulu realizes that she can still pretend to be high in the branches. Scanlon’s writing is rich and simple at the same time. She speaks about the joy of climbing trees and then with poignancy shows how much Lulu misses being outside and being up in tree branches. The illustrations by Hooper are done with printmaking and have a traditional and organic feel that adds to the connection with nature felt on the pages. Get this into the hands of children with skinned knees and sunburned noses. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations, created with traditional art materials and using printmaking techniques, were scanned and assembled in Photoshop, are lively and eye-catching and draw readers into this picture book. The story itself left me a bit curious about Lulu who seems to seize the moments during which she is feeling particularly healthy and then climb as high as she can in the trees in her neighborhood. It appears that her feats impress all the youngsters in the area, and when she isn't able to go outside, they all miss her--even the trees. Even though she misses her outdoor adventures, when the tree's shadows fill her wall, she uses her fingers to climb the branches that she can reach there. The book's images and text evoke a sense of wonder and a deep appreciation for the natural world while also making readers like me curious about Lulu and how she spends her days and nights.

[Zoe Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Way to Climb a Tree is a book about a young girl who loves to climb trees. One day when she gets sick and can't go outside to play, she has to use her imagination to climb the trees from her living room. I loved this story because it featured a main character that is underrepresented in children's books, that is, a kid who is sick. Being chronically ill can take a massive toll on a child, so having a book that shows them that they can still live their life and have adventures as long as they are willing to get a little creative is huge. It is age appropriate, involves a problem and a solution, and it features beautiful and inspiring illustrations.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Lulu, the plucky little girl in this story about the way we look at things and making the best of our circumstances. With beautiful art and simple text, this book tells about a little girl who loves to climb trees. She climbs trees all the time, to the amazement of everyone in the neighborhood. But when she's sick and has to stay home, she misses the trees terribly. But her sweet, positive attitude and wonderful imagination allows her to enjoy playing in the treetops once again. This book would be great to share with kids as way to help develop a growth mindset.

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this one a lot. It's a unique story, and a creative conclusion to the challenge of Lulu being sick in her room and longing to climb trees. I'm glad it was a girl who likes to climb as the main character, and the story had a sense of adventure and confidence that I appreciated. The drawing style isn't my taste, but it's nice to see something different and the detail and colour choices put in were great. My 3 year old likes it a lot, and i think the idea of climbing the shadow tree really appeals to her.

[Dalton Lesher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Way to Climb a Tree is a gentle picture book that celebrates imagination, resilience, and the quiet strength found in nature—even when we can’t be out in it. The story follows a young girl named Lona, who loves to climb trees. But one day, she falls ill and has to stay inside. Instead of climbing real branches, she finds a new way to reach the trees, through her imagination. It’s a reminder that even when we’re not at our strongest, our creativity and connection to the world can still thrive. I do recommend this book!

[Jess Verzello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the illustrations, color palette, and paper texture of this book. It shares a fun and imaginative story about climbing trees. Although most readers (and reviewers) may interpret the end of the book as Lulu using her imagination to climb the trees, I interpreted it as being more metaphorical; as if Lulu died at the end as the narration says, "She's here and then she's gone, just like that." More of a somber tone for kids who may struggle with chronic illness.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations of the great outdoors and TREES! And it's a delightful story of Lulu the tree-climbing girl who climbs all trees, even those that other kids fall out of! She is a whiz, except when she gets sick, and then the trees miss her and she misses the trees. There is one way she finds that connects that title to the story, even when sick! This will make a great read-aloud for young readers.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lulu is a little girl who loves to climb trees; all trees including the ones that "catch kites" and the trees that "other kids won't climb". Until one day she falls ill and can't be outside where she loves climbing the trees. She has to learn to be imaginative and creative in order to be doing what she loves. I really enjoyed the illustrations in this story, especially the scenes where the illustrator uses orange and blue hues depicting night and day.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lulu loves to climb trees, the sappier the better. She even climbs the trees other kids fall out of! And then she just disappears. When Lulu got sick she couldn't play outside in the trees but she finds another way to climb them anyway! The illustrations in this book make you want to go out and climb a tree yourself. For ages 3 - 7.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was more hung-up on the fact that it showed her having chicken pox (chicken pox? nowadays? how novel!) than on the cleverness of the ending. It reminded me of something from when I was a kid--back when everyone caught chickenpox as a matter of course, and ALL of the kids did simple things like climbing trees. *sigh*

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lulu climbs trees. All the trees. Even those no one else will climb. But when she gets sick and has to stay inside, she misses her trees. She watches the sun climb the trees. Then the moon. Then she finds a tree shadow on her wall. So she climbs on her bed and reaches the tallest branches on the tree and disappears in its shadows.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gorgeous book! I love the simplicity of Scanlon's words, how they evoke not only Lulu's personality, but an appreciation of the natural world. The illustrations are striking, color-wise, and also convey exactly what the words seem to convey. One of Liz Garton Scanlon's best books, and that's saying a lot.

[Christine Irvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lulu loves to climb trees. There is not a tree around that she can't climb. She feels a special closeness to the trees. But when she is sick and can't climb a tree, she wonders if the trees miss her. Maybe the birds do, too. She longs to climb a tree, even while she is stuck indoors. But, how can she do that? Spoiler alert: She figures out a way!

[Deidre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basically about a badass kid who rocks tree climbing, and feels super connected to nature. She gets sick though (nothing serious, I think? It's not a heavy book about illness or anything) and can't go outside so she retreats to her imagination looking at a tree shadow on the wall. She's also a redhead, which I love since my own kids are redheads.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty simple book about a girl who loves to climb trees (I'm not sure parents will love the idea of encouraging their kiddos to climb all the most dangerous trees they can find?). I did love the moment where she "climbs" the shadow of the tree on her bedroom wall using her fingers to walk along the branches--that was cute.

[Dylan Teut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes life gets in the way of doing what we love or what we want to do.... but this book encourages readers to use their imagination, and with that, the sky is the limit to continuing chasing dreams.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The text took me back to my childhood days of fearlessly climbing trees, and so did the illustrations. I find them a bit dull and simple, like most books from the 60's.
The ending is clever and original.