If I Were a Tree

by Andrea Zimmerman, Jing Jing Tsong (Illustrator)

Two siblings journey into the woods in a tender story of branching out and new growth from acclaimed writer Andrea Zimmerman and New York Times bestselling illustrator Jing Jing Tsong.

If I were a tree, I know how I'd be.
My trunk strong and wide, my limbs side to side,
I'd stand towering tall, high above all,
My leaves growing big, and buds on each twig.
If I were a tree, that's how I'd be.

The sister has camped in the forest many times before. The brother is nervous for his first overnight trip. As the illustrations in this multifaceted picture book show the siblings discovering the woods, the text celebrates the strength and grace of the trees that surround them, through evocative verse that speaks to all five senses:

If I were a tree, I know what I'd smell.
Sweet honey and bees, and skunk on the breeze.
I'd smell smoke in the air, the breath of a bear,
Old fungus decay, and rain on the way.
If I were a tree, that's what I'd smell.

And with this new knowledge, the siblings are able to overcome their greatest challenge yet. Together, Andrea Zimmerman's wise poem and Jing Jing Tsong's kaleidoscopic art show how connections with the natural world can inspire us to live fully in the present and look hopefully to the future.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Storytime, Poetry, Childrens, Environment, Family

40 pages, Hardcover

Published April 6, 2021

About the author

Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha are married and have created several children’s books together, including Digger Man, Fire Engine Man and Trashy Town, an ALA Notable Book. Zimmerman was born in Ohio and grew up in New York, Utah and California. When she was young, she loved exploring nature, reading comic books, and riding her horse. She studied fine arts for children in college, then later went back to school at UCLA and became a dentist. Clemesha grew up in England and moved to the United States when he was 16. He always loved playing tennis, drawing and reading. He studied English in college and became an elementary school teacher. Zimmerman and Clemesha live in San Diego, California, with their three sons.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/andrea...

Reviews

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those looking for some new ideas for poetry units will like this story in which a tree is described through the use of the five senses.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If I were a tree, I know what I'd hear. Far thunder's low growl, the hoot of an owl. I'd hear snakes in a hole, the sneeze of a mole, A rocky stream flow, the swishing wind blow."

This book rhymes, teaches the 5 senses, and makes non-fiction fun to read!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

With its repetitive use of the phrase "if I were a tree" and the lively imagination of the characters, this picture book is a 3.5 for me. In it, two siblings, a brother and a sister, join their parents on a camping trip. Inspired by the woods around them, even the trees back home and along the way, they imagine what it would be like if they were trees. how they would be and feel and what they would taste, smell, hear, see, love, and know. The text sweeps readers up in the wonder of nature and imagination, and while the words and images are certainly respectful tributes to trees, they also highlight imagination and dreaming of the wider world outside of this one small family. The last few pages remind readers that life will be filled with challenges and there may be times that are bleak and seem hopeless, but just as trees know that spring, new life, and rebirth will come, so should humans take comfort in that knowledge. The text caught me up in awe at all that trees are and can be, and the illustrations, created with traditional printmaking techniques and the use of Adobe Photoshop to fashion digital collages, are worthy tributes to trees with all their greenery and the homes they provide for various species. And of course, the gentle reminder at the end offers encouragement during those dark times. Obviously, this picture book can be read on several levels, and it would be an excellent read aloud choice for various times of the year, even the first day of class or as part of a science lesson.

[Sierra Siminuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, two siblings attend a camping trip with one another. One of the siblings explains to the other the joys and beauty of the natural world, in particular, the trees. They repeat the phrase “If I were a tree…” and describe what their life would be like, or what they would do, if they were a tree. This delightful little book is written in the form of a poem. Poems are enjoyable for children to hear read aloud, or to read aloud themselves, as poetry is inherently musical. In particular, the poem throughout this book utilizes many poetic techniques, such as repetition, internal rhyme, and metaphors. The landscape illustrations throughout this picture book are beautiful, with the colors blending into one another, further showing children the depth of beauty that nature can provide. One interesting aspect regarding these illustrations is the location of the children on the page, as they are often portrayed as quite small, whereas the world around them is portrayed as quite large. This resembles the vastness of the natural world that the characters in the book are discovering. Although characters being “low on the page is often… a signal of low spirits, ‘the pits’, or of unfavorable social status,” (Moebius, 256), this book proves the opposite to be true. For example, on page 25, while the two main characters are in the lower middle corner of the page, they are not experiencing any disadvantageous event, but rather the contrast: they are becoming aware of the grandness of the world around them.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many elementary school teachers teach basic science and that includes trees and our senses. This book allows students to put words to the senses we know in regard to nature. The siblings in this book relish in camping with their family and they imagine what trees sense. The text is predictable in that every other page is specifically about the tree's sensing of things around it. The illustrations by Jing Jing Tsong are remarkable! (She used printmaking techniques which allow for textures that are impressive and the copyright page says they were finished digitally.)

There is such warmth and love for nature and all that lives in the woods, including insects. I very much loved the connection to our senses as there is truth to the magic and wonder we take in should we take the time to explore our surroundings. My favorite page is toward the end: "I'd know branches can bend, and cold spells will end..." with an image of mountains, water, and the family taking it all in along with a Bald Eagle and a whale. It is simply serene for me. Life is like that. Some seasons are hard, but it all ends and begins again. That spread is so hopeful, so beautiful, and I kept returning to it.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic tale about Ruth Mason that encourages youngsters to never give up and to be constant. A heartwarming story about preservation. Ruth does not receive recognition for her finding until she is well into her forties, but this does not deter her. A fantastic new addition to the bios of STEM women. The story of a lady from the Black Hills of South Dakota who pursued her own interest, unfazed by the scientific world dismissing her results as "unimportant," until they eventually investigated her discoveries when she was in her 80s. Any youngster who enjoys dinosaurs, rocks, exploration, history, and knowing more than adults and experts will like this narrative and be inspired to study more about them.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

In melodic text, Andrea Zimmerman tells of a brother and sister, camping with their parents, spinning a song about what trees "know", including "taste, hear, smell, see, love, and know". "If I were a tree I know what I'd see./Hills misty with fog, the life in a log." is only one terrific part. It's an invitation to look closely at all that you can discover when outdoors, plus there are a few more ideas in a double-page in the backmatter. Jing Jing Tsong uses mixed media to make the text even more beautiful.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brother and sister use their 5 senses to explore the outdoors on a family camping/hiking trip.

Zimmerman's poetic text begs for this to be read aloud to children. It's not about rhyming text, rather it is the cadence of it. Artwork by Jing Jing Tsong used "traditional printmaking" techniques to create the art. Backmatter includes questions to ask when using each sense and are outside.

Use this on Earth Day, as part of a unit on tree identification, conservation, or families.

Recommended for PreSchool-grade 3.

[Bailey Grigg · Rating 5 out of 5]

NCTE Excellence in Poetry award winning author Andrea Zimmerman did an excellent job with this new and innovative 2021 picture book. She makes reading non-ficiction fun for beginning readers by telling the story of two siblings explaining what they would touch, see, smell, taste, and hear if they were a tree. Zimmerman uses the repetitive phrase "If I were a tree" as a poetic element to keep the attention of readers. Kids are sure to love this one!

[Lauri Meyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this rhyming book, a boy describes a tree and then imagines if he were a tree what he would be like. Then the poem takes us through each of the senses (“If I were a tree I know what I’d hear”). Finally, the story concludes with what a tree would know, sharing heartfelt statements “branches will bend” and “spring will renew.” Lovely illustrations. Backmatter about using the five senses to get to know the trees around you. (40 pages)

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Lee & Low Books through Edelweiss+.
Zimmerman brings readers along to see what they would experience if they were a tree. She moves through the five senses with vivid descriptions from a tree's perspective. The illustrations enhance the text. Great read aloud to jumpstart students' imaginations and develop their own images.

[Dawn Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this new picture book by Andrea Zimmerman, the author of one of my favorite read-alouds, "TrashyTown!!" This is a great book for introducing environmental awareness to preschoolers. And, lots of fun rhyming words, repetition, rhythm & opportunities for discussion about what it's like to be a tree 🌳

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughtful, rhyming text and colorful, engaging illustrations lead a boy and a girl on a multi-sensory journey to discover the wonders of trees. Along the way, readers are introduced to the artful possibility that trees are sentient beings with consciousness, too. Endnotes contain multiple activities for using the five senses to learn more about trees.

[Lupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this book during Earth Day week, and my students really enjoyed it because they made the connection to the "old lady who eats all the weird stuff." That made me laugh, and we talked about the book's growing pattern. This book's vocabulary is helpful for my younger students, especially as we go into the animal research unit. The illustrations are also reminiscent of Eric Carle's collages.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Experiences as if you were a tree. This rhyming text is informative and interesting. It begs you to think before you turn the page. Great job!

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A love poem to trees.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using all five senses to explore the wonder of trees. :)

[Carrie Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute rhyming book

[Mills College Library]

Picture Z724i 2021

[Maggi Rohde · Rating 3 out of 5]

The experience of being a tree, explored through the five senses and beyond.

[Magdalene O’Brien · Rating 3 out of 5]

The experience of being a tree, explored through the five senses and beyond.

[Brandon Khan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhyming text with a repeating line tells about the world from a tree's point of view (as imagined by a kid) through the 5 senses. Also says what a tree would love and know.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine being a tree through using your five senses. A fun, rhyming look at the natural world.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poetic way to look at how a tree encompasses all of life.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry, personification, creativity. I really loved looking at life through the lens of a tree. What might they see, feel, taste, etc. and there are fun tree facts in the back.

[bell1691 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It rhymes which is a plus. My son likes the sing song sounds of rhymes. I also like that it’s about trees, of course. Each page focuses on a different sense that a tree might hear feel see etc.

[Zoraida Rivera Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read it again.

[Kaitlyn Wall · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about two siblings journey into the wood, the illustrations are very colorful. I like how they take up the whole page and take you through the story.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Toddler said it was no good