A FAMILY OF TREES: MY FIRST BOOK OF FORESTS, by Peggy Thomas and Cookie Moon, Phaidon Press, May 22, 2024, Board Book, $16.95, (ages 2-4)
A Family of Trees, by Peggy Thomas and illustrated by Cookie Moon, introduces little ones to forest families.
In this first book of forests for the very young, children are invited to experience how trees, like humans, talk to each other, care for each other, share food, and create a home together. The book further unfolds to showcase a lush temperate forest-scape, creating a true visualization of how trees are connected and form forest families. Back panels offer vivid illustrations of diverse forests environments around the world for a more global context, while secondary text offers more detailed, curricular information about tree science and the flora and fauna that rely on forest habitats.
This introduction to forests and the new science of tree communication has a accordion-style board-book format. Housed in a gift case with a magnetic closure, it opens up to create a forest-scape that is 2more than 8-feet long. —Synopsis provided by Phaidon Press
A Family of Trees is essentially two books in one — the first one (or side of the accordion) is about tree families, their ecosystems. The second book is about different environments in which forests adapt and thrive. There is simple main text that offers broad ideas and smaller, secondary text that goes into more detail, allowing parents to cater to their child’s attention span and interest. Charming illustrations bring the whole thing together.
The design of A Family of Trees is cool. The 8-foot-long accordion is constructed from heavy stock. And the magnetic enclosure is very strong. However, I can see some rambunctious kids running around with it trailing behind them. Therefore, I suggest this book be one that’s read supervised.
Copyright © 2024 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
