Under My Tree

March 16, 2020
This impressionistic story by Tallandier
centers on a city girl, Susanne, who becomes enamored of a tree while visiting her grandparents in the country. The girl announces that her tree is “different from all the rest”—and indeed, Fujisawa depicts the deciduous tree more realistically than its more geometric forest neighbors. Susanne becomes increasingly fond of her tree as she discovers a mother owl and her babies in its hollow, hugs its bark (“You have to touch a tree if you really want to talk to it”), climbs its branches to revel in the view from the top, and listens to its music in the wind, as it “sang with her leaves, using the wind as her lungs.” Supplementing the lyrical narrative are leaf-shaped sidebars that provide minimal factual nuggets and activities (“There are over 60,000 tree species in the world”; “Run your fingers over the trunk”) and encourage readers to explore and appreciate trees. Dominated by a cool palette of variegated blues and greens, Fujisawa’s airy illustrations mimic the text’s placidity and feature endearing, close-up portraits of the book’s tree-hugging heroine. Ages 3–8.

Starred review from May 1, 2020

PreS-Gr 4-Susanne is a young girl who lives in a big city. She often visits her grandparents in the country, and when she does, she loves to spend time with her favorite tree. The tree is giant, full of life, and waiting to be explored. Tallandier has created a lovely story about the beauty and friendship people share with nature. Every description of how Susanne interacts with her tree is full of tenderness, encouraging readers to connect with their surroundings, too. Guided questions help supplement read-aloud sessions. Fujisawa's illustrations depict the tree as a vibrant giant throughout all seasons. Both the humans and the natural world are depicted with details and colors that bring them to life. VERDICT Combined, Tallandier's words with Fujisawa's illustrations depict a story filled with pure love and adoration for the rainbow of nature and the opportunities it presents to us.-Margaret Kennelly, School at Urbana-Champaign, IL

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2020
A city girl falls in love with a tree and marvels at its wonders. Susanne looks forward to vacations at her grandparents' house in the country. On a walk in the forest with her grandmother, Susanne discovers her "big, beautiful tree," like something out of a fairy tale. Every day, she visits her tree and notices something miraculous and new: the view from the topmost branches, the sound of the wind through the leaves, a family of owls, insects that march along the truck. As she delights in each discovery, leaf-shaped callout boxes in page corners encourage readers to discuss, explore, and interact. (Some boxes present facts, but no sources are cited.) Even when she returns to the city, Susanne thinks often of her beloved tree. The stylized illustrations use a variety of perspectives--close up, bird's eye, profile--to create a page-turning dynamic as action drives readers from left to right. Solid colors and patterns of the modern world contrast with translucent, tissue-paper-like leaves, placing the emphasis firmly on the natural world. Like the illustrations, Susanne's detailed first-person narration is tree-centered, leaving little room for character development. Originally published in France, the lyrical text is not always served well by the translation, most notable in the awkward toggling between past and present tenses. All characters appear white. An interactive, modern-day The Giving Tree without the creepy self-sacrifice. (Picture book. 4-8)

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March 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 On a walk in the forest while visiting her grandparents, Susanne spots a tree that immediately impresses her with its beauty. She visits the tree often during her vacation and discovers many wonderful characteristics: its canopy offers shelter from rain, it's a home for a family of owls, it's a great climbing tree, its tall branches allow for an amazing view, and it grows aromatic fruit. Leaf-shaped sidebars appear in the lower corners on eight pages and provide information and suggestions for readers, such as "Smell the leaves, flowers, and fruits you find growing on trees." In the appealing illustrations, Susanne's tree stands out from the rest as it has individual leaves, whereas the surrounding trees have simple outlines and appear to be made of tissue paper. The pictures are placed on pure white backgrounds that allow the predominantly blue, chartreuse, and teal colors to take center stage. Translated from French, this ode to a special tree, narrated by a young girl, will delight the eyes and encourage youngsters to take pleasure in nature.

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