Red Woods (Soft Cover)

Jason Chin books on Grand Canyon, Coral Reefs and Redwoods are Magnificent representations of these three places I love. I am and hiker, if I can not go the next best is to open one of these books! First the boy finds the book, opens, and he is there, finishes, and leaves the book on the bench where it is found by a girl, she opens....and we know where she is going. Beautifully Done, Magnificent Art!

This book is my 8 year old son's favorite book to read at bedtime. I must admit I don't mind reading it again and again. I think we both enjoy being transported to a place that is magical and never ceases to surprise us. But what we find most amazing is that our wonderment is actually about real trees and their ability to make rain, provide homes for animals and other full grown trees in their branches, are taller than the Statue of Liberty, and have a life span of thousands of years! We have both had dreams of climbing trees and living in a forest after reading Jason Chin's book. Of course we are planning to visit the redwood forests this summer. Until then we'll just have to imagine it every night.

This picture book is a clever blend of facts and fantasy. The facts are in the very readable text, where we learn a lot about those most magical of trees--the redwoods. The fantasy comes in the form of imaginative illustrations that guide us throughout the 32 page book. While waiting for a train, a young boy picks up a copy of a book called Redwoods. As the boy starts to read about the trees, the background changes to fit the story. For instance, as he learns that the ancestors of the redwoods lived during the Jurassic period, dinosaurs appear outside the train window. Or when he reads that a tree can live more more than 2,000 years, he finds himself seated between two men from the Roman Empire. It's an imaginative and fun way to learn about the endangered redwood tree. The watercolor illustrations do an amazing job of highlighting the facts. Perspective is shown when the boy reads that researchers discovered a tree in 2006 that was 379.1 feet tall. Turn the page and you read that that's "six stories taller than the Statue of Liberty." And the picture shows the Statue of Liberty against the backdrop of a redwood tree. There's a lot contained in these pages. For example, here are some interesting facts about redwoods: "When a redwood is injured, the tree will often sprout new trunks that look like miniature versions of the tree itself." "...redwoods have an ingenious way of collecting water: They make their own rain! When the fog rolls in, it condenses on the redwood's needles, and whatever moisture isn't absorbed then falls to the ground to be soaked up by the tree's roots." "Some animals, like red tree voles, live their whole lives in the treetops and never see the ground." Elementary-aged kids will enjoy reading Redwoods. Nature and non-fiction buffs will automatically be drawn to this book. But I also think that reluctant readers will find themselves pulled in because it's just so interesting. The book succeeds by being both beautifully drawn and chock full of facts. If I were a first through fourth grade teacher, I'd want to make sure my classroom contained a copy of Redwoods.

The boy was on platform fourteen waiting for the F train. He walked toward the train, but his imagination and mind were more on the book he was reading about redwood trees. When he was seated on the train, his imagination began to swirl and he placed himself smack dab in the middle of the story. Redwoods, of course, are the "oldest trees in the world." They lived in the Jurassic period when the dinosaurs roamed the earth. Amazingly they are even trees alive today that were probably mere saplings "during the Roman Empire!" His imagination was working overtime and when he exited the stairs from the subway he magically found himself standing on the forest floor beneath some massive redwoods. The book was amazing and he was learning all kinds of facts about these wonderful trees. He learned about their massive diameter, their seedlings, how fast a sapling can grow, how "redwoods also grow from other redwoods," how they defend themselves from infections and insects, how they are equipped to live through fires and many other interesting facts. This book, a mixture of fact and fantasy, is an example of the "new way" to interest children in nonfiction. The boy drifts through his imaginative fantasy land, but in doing so offers up a lot of information on redwoods. This is a wonderful book for both the reluctant reader and the confident one who may be seeking information about these fascinating trees. The art work is very appealing and meshes perfectly with the storyline. In the back of the book is a brief essay on "Redwoods in Danger." Did you know that redwoods can even "make their own rain?"

My favorite books as a kid were always the ones that taught me about something. Jason Chin's illustrations are beautiful and spark the imagination while his storytelling has much to teach little readers about the natural wonders of redwoods.

Redwoods Jason Chin's Redwoods is a brilliantly illustrated book following the adventures of a boy as he explores the beautiful forests of the redwoods. The book is packed with finely crafted illustrations and will certainly capture the imagination of a child. I bought this book for my little cousin and he loved it. I just heard from his parents, that it actually turned him onto learning more about nature and preservation. I think this book would be great in classrooms too. I would certainly recommend this as an excellent and informative children's book!