A Tree Is Nice, and this picture book is a perfect reminder.

March 12, 2013 · Filed under Picture Books · Tagged Caldecott, children's book review, Earth Day, Janice May Udry, Let's Be Enemies, Marc Simont, Maurice Sendak, Moon Jumpers, nature, picture book review

A Tree Is Nice

Picture Book

Ages 2-7

By Janice May Udry

Illustrated by Marc Simont

32 Pages

HarperCollins

1956

1957 Caldecott Medal Winner

 

 

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

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