Synopsis
Annie Livemore, her cat, and two of her friends collect acorns, carefully nurture them until they are big enough to be planted in the ground, and then grow old with all the oak trees they have planted. Includes instructions on growing oak trees from acorns.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1998-07-01 | | Series: | Picture Books Series | | Illustrator: | Vicki Jo Redenbaugh |
| Size | | Length: | 32 pages | | Height: | 10.5 in | | Width: | 8.5 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 12.0 oz |
Publisher's Note
Annie Livemore, her cat, and two of her friends collect acorns, carefully nurture them until they are big enough to be planted in the ground, and then grow old with all the oak trees they have planted.
Industry Reviews
Several generations participate in the planting of trees in Martin's (Grandmother Bryant's Pocket) poetic, somewhat sugary story. Annie Livemore is an older woman who enjoys sitting under her big oak tree, the last in the neighborhood. One fall, the woman enlists the help of youngsters Harriet and Little Sam, to gather "shiny brown buttons with oak tree songs inside." Harriet Grace deems the buttons (or acorns) "as beautiful as polished pianos." In the spring, the trio plants them in a variety of recycled containers, including old soup bowls and berry buckets, and the following fall they set the seedlings, still in planters, into the ground. Finally, during the third spring, the gardeners plant their trees, which over the years grow into the sky until Harriet and not-so-little Sam return with their own families to walk down Annie's road among the trees and pick up acorns. Pastel hues dominate Redenbaugh's (When I'm Alone) softly focused illustrations, which gently chronicle the change in seasons and the passage of years. Some young readers may find the tale's growing season a bit protracted. But its message is heartening, and those inspired by the characters' actions will welcome Martin's concluding instructions for growing their own oak trees. Ages 5-8. (June)
Bukey
K-Gr 2-Annie Livemore spends her days sitting in a rocking chair under a tree in her yard. Realizing that the oak is the last one remaining in her neighborhood, the elderly woman recruits two children to help her gather acorns, which she refers to as "buttons." In the spring they plant them in buckets. After a few years the seedlings are tall enough to be replanted in the ground. The book ends with Annie's two helpers returning years later to visit the old woman with families of their own in tow. While noble in purpose, there is little in this story to sustain the interest of children. The first couple of references to acorns as buttons will be confusing, and the trees are planted in neighboring yards and parks with no mention of anyone asking for permission. The colored-pencil drawings are superior to the writing; rich in greens, browns, and yellows, they depict nicely the setting and the multiethnic characters. Two pages of detailed instructions on the lengthy process of growing oak trees are appended. Most libraries will want to pass on this one.-Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Spalding
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