Tell Me, Tree: All about Trees for Kids Book

It's an arboreal extravaganza between the covers of Gail Gibbons' Tell Me, Tree, a comprehensive picture-book introduction to the world of our coniferous and deciduous friends. Starting with the basics - what is a tree, exactly? - the book goes on to explore the types of trees, their growth patterns and life-cycles, their anatomy, their all-important food production process (yay for photosynthesis!), and the means of identifying different species. Some ideas for creating a personal tree identification guide are included at the rear, along with some more detailed trivia.

Informative and engaging, Gibbons' book manages to capture the excitement and fascination of her subject, while also sticking to the facts. Her accompanying watercolor illustrations are engaging, although I think I agree with my friend Lisa (thanks for recommending this one!) in finding the images of trees and leaves more convincing than the depiction of humans. In any case, Tell Me, Tree is just an all-around excellent natural history title for younger children - early elementary school age - and is highly recommended to readers of that level with an interest in botany, and in the natural world.