One Tree

Emmy and I LOVE to hang out at the bookstore. She gets the biggest smile on her face as she leads me to her favorite section of the bookstore, which just happens to be my favorite, the children's section. On our last trip we came across a new series of books by Innovative Kids called Green Start. They can be found in the board book section, but are by no means just for babies or toddlers! The books are printed on recycled materials and use soy-based inks so they're "good for your child and good for the world". Each book includes a parent page with information and tips related to the story.

One of Emmy's favorite activities is to go for a walk and collect treasures from nature. So when we read One Tree we both knew that this was the book to bring home! It is a story of a tree growing in a meadow and as the seasons change, the tree's life cycle is shown as well as the tree's importance to the insect and animal world. The illustrations are adorable and look as if they are quilted onto a brown paper bag. After reading this book, Emmy took great care in hugging many of the trees we saw on our next nature walk.

The most interesting thing about Emmy as a reader right now is the attention she pays to the illustrations. She always finds something that my eyes have completely skipped over. In the book One Tree she is very curious about what the animals are doing on each page. Emmy's favorite page is about the woodpecker who pecks at the tree's bark to find insects to eat. She noticed and very carefully counted each squirrel and bird who were also in the tree. She is thrilled that animals live in trees and would like to do so herself!