| Title | : | From Tree to Sea |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1481495313 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781481495318 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 32 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2019 |
“A delight to share again and again.” —School Library Connection
“ Simple on the surface, this sweet story imparts important truisms about the planet we call home.” —BookPage
“Thomas’s exhortations celebrate both natural beauty and human virtue in a kind of gentle eco-theology.” —Publishers Weekly
“Encourages readers to find inspiration everywhere.” —Booklist
From a child’s point of view, this lyrical picture book looks at the relationship of nature to the human world and the place we call home.
From the edge of the sea to a high mountain top, everything has its place in the world and all living things are connected. The world around us has a lot to tell us if we take the time to look and listen. This tender and comforting picture book celebrates the wisdom in many of the things great and small that make up our wonderful world.
From Tree to Sea Reviews
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I LOVE this story. It’s about observing something simple in nature and learning a life lesson. It’s a beginning story for young children on up. It is quite profound. Example: “Trees show me how to stand tall. Even when the wind tries to blow me down, I dance with the breeze. I do not fall.”
It goes through all kinds of places and pieces of nature like stones or sun or soil. It has great messages and I love the artwork. It is playful and fits with the story well.
The niece really liked this story too. She gave this 4 stars, but the nephew thought this was a little boring. Not much to laugh at and no monsters. He gave this 2 stars. Oh well. So it goes. -
Lovely illustrations, but reads like an office inspirational poster.
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This wonderful book takes the reader on a journey through some of the beautiful scenery that nature offers us. The natural world has much to teach us if we are willing to listen and pay attention. The author shares the things that she sees when she looks at the world around her. For example, she points out that bees can teach us the value of working together for the common good. Soil supports plants and roots and other growing things. Humans can support each other in similar ways. One of my favorite parts was where she pointed out that like whales our dreams can be enormous, yet "I can take only small strokes one at a time to make them come true". The comparison between a large whale and a tiny rowboat is especially striking. A beautifully ode to the natural world and the value that exists there for those willing to see it.
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Explore what nature and our landscapes can teach you in this poetic picture book. A little girl talks about what she learns when she heads outside. Trees show her how to not tip over when winds blow. Stones demonstrate rolling along even when you are being kicked. Oceans inspire travel but also returning to the shore. The sun shines just like you can smile even when you are down. Bees exhibit hard work and sweet reward. Soil offers a safe place to grow and shelter. Whales are so huge they are the size of the biggest of dreams but also the small steps that make them come to fruition. The examples continue through the book, each one separate and combining into a rich narrative.
Thomas writes with a simplicity that will work well for children. She uses each of the natural items as a metaphor for doing something in your life. It could be rolling with hardship, following dreams, rising above troubles, or shining with your own light. The use of natural examples lifts these small bits of advice into something more concrete and inspirational.
The illustrations by Neal are done in mixed media and digital formats. They are filled with deep colors and bright sunny light. They have the same positive approach as the poetry. They have an uplifting feel to them, filled with breezes to dance in, deep water to wonder at, and dazzling sunshine.
A picture book to inspire taking risks, making changes and living up to your potential. Appropriate for ages 3-5 -
Just perfect.
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cute, sweet
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This story is a representation of how we can find good in all the things that are arounds us. The simplicity and peaceful nature of the book could make it a quality read at the beginning or end of the day. It reminds readers to take a step back and truly observe the world around them.
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Very nice. Great message on how different things can open our eyes to what we can achieve.
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A quiet story that encourages introspection.
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"Earth shows me many things." This opening line takes readers on an adventure in which they can learn important lessons from the natural world, like how to rise like the wind or reach your dreams with small steps. A beautiful book, with the mixed media and digital illustrations, that would ideally be shared between a child and a loving adult. Recommended preK-grade 5.
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This upbeat, soothing book celebrates all the beauty, wisdom, and wonder to be found in the natural world. And all of this is available to anyone who takes the time to step outdoors and look. As winter starts to finally give way to spring, this would be a terrific book to share with young readers, especially before venturing outdoors to find one's own lessons in nature. The illustrations are gorgeous and will really help young readers appreciate trees, clouds, sunshine, and all the other wonderful things outside.
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Loved the notion of nature teaching us the fundamentals of living, metaphorically. The ending didn’t match the message of the book. Lovely illustrations.
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“Earth shows me many things.”
A child uses the world around her to learn important lessons about her life. “The sun shows me that brightness brings warmth to others. I smile and shine when things look dim.”
Poetic -
From Tree to Sea by Shelley Moore Thomas, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. PICTURE BOOK. Paula Wiseman (Simon & Schuster), 2019. $18. 9781481495318
BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
“Earth shows my many things” is the premise on which this book rotates. The stones on the ground show us how to be strong and the clouds in the sky show us how to rise above difficulties.
This poetic book is a beautiful rumination on the lessons in nature, albeit a little slow. The pace makes it difficult to keep the attention of young readers, but it could be used in a creative writing lesson on what we personally have learned from nature. The illustrations calm and captivating.
Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20... -
Details things to be learned from the natural world and asks the reader to think about what they
can learn as well. -
A lyrical, contemplative, inspiring narrative with graceful, spacious illustrations.
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I am not sure about the last 3 pages of the book, but because of the simplicity, the artwork, and the over all message of the story I will round it up to 4 from 3.5.
I feel the last 3 0ages could have been in a different order, or not included. It just broke from the flow of the story to me. The beginning of the book had this nice flow, but the the end it just broke that flow by turning the story from the first person narrator of the story telling about themselves to asking a question of the reader, the problem was that when I was reading the first person I though of the narrator and the reader being the same person, so the question at the end was jarring and out of place.
The over all message is lovely though and I like the simplicity of the text as well as the fact that there is not too much text on one page.
The illustrations are beautiful and I found myself trying to figure out what materials were used to do the illustrations. -
If we take the time to look, and take the time to wonder, many things in our wide world tells us that we'll be okay, just listen to them. In rhyming text, Shelley Moore Thomas writes a book of inspirational learning, "from Tree to Sea". The opening part is a beautiful welcome into our earth's treasures: "Trees show me how to stand tall. Even when the wind tries to blow me down, I dance with the breeze. I do not fall." Christopher Silas Neal's illustrations fill these moments with beautifully colored settings: a young girl dances beneath a tree in the wind, two young boys care for seeds in a garden like caring for a friend, and clouds flow across a page as the young girl floats above her problems with a kite. It will be fun to read this with a group of students, hearing their conversation after.
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From Tree To Sea is a fantastic picture book about the world around us, taking us on a journey through nature, from a tree dancing in the breeze to the sea and its' endless view, teaching us small lessons that can be found in each.
Nature lovers will love the beautifully illustrated landscapes and seascapes and skyscapes, as well as the close-ups of bees in gardens, birds in nests, and more. There are beautiful night sky pages and pages full of lovely green growing things as well!
This calming book reminds us of all the wonderful things that nature has to offer, whether you're in your backyard or not!
This review was originally shared on
Lazy Day Literature. -
Naturey picture books are my weakness! This book highlights various things in nature (trees, the sun, bees, whales) and something that thing can teach us. The page about the whale resonated with me: "I dream big dreams, yet I can take only small strokes, one at a time, to make them come true." This actually follows the rules of "interpretation" in the park ranger sense, too (where you take a tangible thing and connect it to people emotionally using intangible concepts). The illustrations were interesting and occasionally striking (like that spread with the desert! That was pretty!).
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This is a sweet picture book that encourages the reader to see oneself in the natural world and its beauty and strength. Perhaps it's the pessimist (or realist?) in me that laughed at the super light/positive framing of a "curious" cat (in pursuit of a squirrel) or the brave baby bird (knowing the morality rate of newly born birds due to falls and predators), but I appreciate the messages of growth, hard work, and love in this book. It would make a lovely graduation gift.
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“Trees show me how to stand tall. Even when the wind tries to blow me down. I dance with the breeze. I do not fall.”
A poetic book filled with different things little readers can learn from nature. Stone shows us how to be strong, sun shows us how to bring warmth to others, and my favorite: soil shows us how to support those around us.
Click to take a look inside the book. -
Childrens picture book. This book touches on various things in nature and the lessons we can learn from them. It's a sweet concept, and I can see it setting off some good discussions. A follow-up writing activity with the format (natural object) shows me_______ could be interesting. Not a bad book but there are other more memorable books if you are looking for inspiration.
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Beautiful illustrations and concept. My favorite page was:
The moon shows me that even when I change, I am still me. Sometimes it's round and pearly, sometimes only a sliver, but the moon is still the moon, no matter what. And I am always me, no matter what.
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Age: Older Preschool-2nd grade
Stop, pause, and be inspired by the world around you. Hardworking bees, resilient stones, the warm sun, and supportive soil all show us how to be strong, kind, and better people. A lovely celebration of nature and yourself. -
It's an interesting picture book. It talks about nature parts and how they inspire feelings and ways to be. The messages are positive and modern which is a good point. I would have liked a story to go along the messages, but the book works without it.
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From inside cover:
"The world around us has a lot to tell us if we take the time to look and listen."
Publication Date: 2019
Elements: Muted illustrations, simple text (not in rhyme)
Connection/Topics: Awareness, inspiration; life-lessons from surroundings -
All things on earth can teach us how to be better people.
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Beautiful love letter to nature and the world around us.
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Can see this working as a supplement for PK yoga storytimes or and "earth day" storytime because the theme.
