As an Oak Tree Grows

A picture book you won't mind reading over and over.

G. Brian Karas has never been one of my favorite picture book artists, so I was pleasantly surprised to discover this lovely and thoughtful book.  It traces the life of an oak tree in what appears to be New England from the time it is planted by a wigwam-dwelling Native American boy to its destruction by a thunderstorm at the end of the 20th century.  Forests give way to farms, horses-and-buggies yield to trains and automobiles, and electricity comes to light the night sky.  Karas's detailed illustrations portray these changes and many more, making for a picture book that fans of Where's Waldo and I Spy will enjoy.  Grown-ups may also be encouraged to recall their own happy childhood experiences playing under big green trees.