Because of an Acorn

Because of an Acorn
by Lola Schaefer and Adam Schaefer; illus. by Frann Preston-Gannon
36 pages; ages 3-6
Chronicle Books, 2016

I love the simplicity of this book:
Because of an acorn, a tree.
Because of a tree, a bird.

I love the ecological layers in this book: food, shelter, seed, transport. Everything - everything - is connected.

I love the illustrations. Simple, soft, just enough detail. And cumulative. Plus there are some interesting die-cuts where the shape created the image on one page, but the coloring is from something different on the next.

See what I mean? Seedling and grass roots and soil particles... how cool is that!

I love the back matter. That's where you can learn more about the white oak tree - a "foundation species", and what an ecosystem is, and what role saplings play in the food chain. That's where you get the nitty-gritty details about forest inhabitants and why we need forests.

And that's where you'll find four things you can do to help forests.

By this time in November, most of our acorns are gone - eaten by turkeys or buried by squirrels. But I know that I'll find tiny oak sprouts in the spring... in my gardens and in the middle of the yard. And there's always plenty of acorn caps to use for art projects.

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy provided by publisher.