A Tree for Me

The words flow so melodically and with such varied rhythms, that reading this is like singing a song. Nancy Van Laan, author of the defiantly slangy "Possum Comes a Knockin,'" once again shows her keen sense of sound in this very fun picture book for infants and toddlers. It's a simple story that, in someone else's hands, could have seemed formulaic and predictable. Van Laan, however, turns this into a frolicking poem that begs for dramatic oral expression. You're the conductor here-speed up and slow down your voice, turn the volume up and down, register surprise, disappointment, and delight, as you read this out loud. Sheila White Samton's unique collage-style pictures will also captivate your audience. The simple story tells of a (briefly seen) boy and his dog looking for a certain tree. Instead, they find trees inhabited by friendly looking animals including frogs, possums (!), grasshoppers, worms, and squirrels. SPOILER: Our heroes eventually find the cozy tree house they were searching for!Nicely produced by Borzoi Books for Knopf, "A Tree for Me" has 28 beautifully illustrated pages. Although a few of the words are difficult (e.g., squirrels, dangling), the repeating words in Van Laan's poem may make this an appropriate book for the beginning reader as well as the small fry hearing it from you.

I'm a huge fan of Sheila White Sampon's books. Not only do my kids love them, but I adore reading them to my kids. There's a beautiful and simple quality to the words and pictures, and this makes for easy and fun reading and looking. But under her seemingly simple stories and pictures is a mastery that shows her deep understanding of kids and life. When I ask my kids which book they want me to read, they often pick up one of Sheila White Sampon's. Her books are harmonious and life-affirming. It's my great pleasure to read them often to my kids. Bravo to Ms. Sampon!!

I have admired other books illustrated by Sheila Samton. 'A Tree for Me' is particularly magical, and the repeating refain in Nancy Van Laan's poem works hand-in-hand with the drawings to great effect. I'm an architect, so the drawings have always been a big attraction - but one that the children in my life seem to enjoy too!

I am an art critic and curator. This book is a delightful poem with incantatory repetitions that kids love. The illustrations are enchanting -- witty, engaging, and wonderfully colored. Samton's images add another layer of meaning to van Laan's amusing rhymes. Both text and illustrations stand up to repeated reading and close looking.