Picture Book
Ages 2-7
By Janice May Udry
Illustrated by Marc Simont
32 Pages
HarperCollins
1956
Janice May Udry wrote seven picture books, including Let’s Be Enemies and Moon Jumpers, both illustrated by Maurice Sendak. A Tree is Nice was her first picture book, and it is divine. Her unpretentious text is direct and expressive.
Marc Simont has appeared on TurtleAndRobot before, see The Philharmonic Gets Dressed and My Brother Ant. In A Tree is Nice his drawing style is loose and unrestricted; he doesn’t squander lines. Giving just enough information and omitting fine details, he’s creating a feeling with each scene as much as a picture.
The spreads alternate between black and white and color. The luxuriant, saturated color art arouses warm, joyous feelings.
In the black and white illustrations Simont uses a gray wash and thicker, more strategic strokes, generating a quiet, meditative feeling.
And every spread evokes serenity and comfort.
Trees are nice. They offer shade, they make the woods, they’re good for hanging swings on and they make sticks!
This exquisitely simple picture book provides many reasons trees are nice, and some reasons just one tree is nice too.
This book will make you want to plant a tree, or climb a tree, or lie down under a tree and take a nap. And really, don’t all of those things sound perfectly delightful?
Buy the book!
IndieBound / Powell’s / Amazon
Rhonda Sittig said,
March 14, 2013 @ 11:11 pm
This book is an old friend.
23missb said,
March 13, 2013 @ 3:23 am
The illustrations are magnificent. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
danamelana said,
March 13, 2013 @ 3:05 am
Love this book and love Simont’s illustrations!
RobynG said,
March 12, 2013 @ 10:47 pm
A favorite at out house for sure!
kiwiskan said,
March 12, 2013 @ 7:56 pm
Lovely book. Another one for my list…
practicemakesperfectalmost said,
March 12, 2013 @ 6:30 pm
A classroom staple!