From School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 1-Depicting a loving family connection spanning generations, this story opens with a boy and his grandmother, who share a close bond, expressing their deep affection for one other in hugs, laughter, patience, and pancakes. They plant an acorn together and watch it grow into a sapling. As the years go by, the grandmother dies, and eventually the boy grows up to become a father, sharing the loving experiences and caring for the oak tree with his daughter, who in turn passes the wisdom "About how things grow,/ like trees,/ and people,/ and kindness" to her son, and so on until there is an oak forest where "once there was a wide-open field." Sanna's striking digital illustrations in a bold graphic style alternate between spreads and vignettes, cleverly conveying the passage of time with changes in color palette and framing, depicting a cast of diverse people of many skin colors and hair colors. These lovely, luscious images complement the lyricism of Campbell's peaceful text with its repeated refrains of watering and weeding, watching, and wondering that inform the passing of the years and generations. VERDICT Perhaps idealized, this is a lovely and gentle musing about familial continuity, community support, and the importance of perseverance and kindness.-Yelena Voyseyα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review
★ "A book to give and to share with loved ones." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Beautiful illustrations [and] moving and poetic prose." —Entertainment Weekly
"A lovely and gentle musing about familial continuity, community support, and the importance of perseverance and kindness." —School Library Journal
About the Author
Marcy Campbell's debut picture book, Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse! was a Junior Library Guild Selection, a Top 10 Indie Next Pick, Winner of the Comstock Read Aloud Award, and the Crystal Kite Award, and was translated into eight languages. She is also the author of the middle grade novel Rule of Threes as well as the picture book Something Good, illustrated by Corinna Luyken. Marcy lives in Ohio with her family. Visit her on the web at marcycampbell.com, or on Twitter @marcycampbell and Instagram @marcycampbellbooks.
Francesca Sanna is an illustrator and children's book author, whose books include the critically acclaimed The Journey, for which they received both an Ezra Jack Keats New Author Honor and New Illustrator Honor Award. Their other books include Me and My Fear which received two starred reviews. The New York Times has described their work as "both realistic and fantastical, done in a striking, graphic style." Francesca is a recipient of the Society of Illustrators Gold Medal, the Parents' Choice Awards Gold Medal, and an Amnesty CILIP Kate Greenaway Honour, among others. They live in Zurich, Switzerland. Learn more at francescasanna.com, or visit them on Twitter @Frenci_San and Instagram @frencisan.
