Reviews for Tree of life

The average rating for Tree of life based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-05-22 00:00:00 Lawrence Crowley A wonderful, informative story about Africa's baobab tree (one of my favorite trees)! I appreciate how Bash includes a traditional story about how the baobab came to be (here's a clue--the tardy and careless hyena was involved in the planting!) but continued mostly with more factual information about the tree (which can live to be one thousand years old) and the creatures (including humans) who inhabit it or use it for food or shelter. I think my favorites were the bush babies ;-) The information is all conveyed in a pleasant and engaging way, more lyrical than dry, and the illustrations are stellar. Highly recommended!

Review # 2 was written on 2019-03-06 00:00:00 Juan Armenta One of a number of informational picture-books about trees that author/illustrator Barbara Bash has published - others include In the Heart of the Village : The World of the Indian Banyan Tree , Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus and Ancient Ones: The World of the Old-Growth Douglas Fir - this engaging title highlights one of the stars of the arboreal world: the magnificent baobab. Opening with a !Kung folk belief about the baobab - that it was planted by the hyena, when the Great Spirit was allowing each animal to plant a tree, but that the hyena, being late, and rather confused, planted it upside down - it profiles the wealth of species that depend upon it for sustenance, and the mini ecosystems incorporated in its body. From the many insects that feed upon its bark and foliage, to the birds who nest in its branches and trunk - not to mention the larger mammals, from bush babies to humans, who eat its fruit and flowers, or the honey made in its hollows - it becomes clear that baobab truly is a life-giving tree. Informative and engaging, Tree of Life: The World of the African Baobab is everything that a natural history picture-book should be: educational, entertaining, and beautifully illustrated! The watercolor artwork is just lovely, with deep, vivid colors, and realistic depictions of flora and fauna. The African savannah really comes to life in Bash's paintings, which are full-page, with the text appearing in the lighter, background portion of the artwork. I learned quite a bit, and, as should always be the case with good non-fiction, came away with a desire to know more - if the hyena planted the first baobab, according to the !Kung, then which trees did the other animals plant? - which means that I will undoubtedly be picking up the three other titles in Bash's Tree Tales series. A great big thank you to my goodreads friends Chandra and Kathryn, who alerted me to this one - I might never have picked it up, otherwise, and that would have been a shame! Highly recommended to all young tree-lovers and naturalists, and to anyone looking for good children's non-fiction.