Hello, Trees, by Bailey Bezuidenhout/Illustrated by Maria Lebedeva, (June 2023, Kane Miller), $14.99, ISBN: 9781684647330
Ages 3-7
A young brown-skinned girl shares thoughtful questions about trees as she interacts with them in this beautifully illustrated book. Poetic meanderings like “…I run my hand over the rough bark, / wrinkled like my fingertips / when I’ve stayed in the bathtub too long” share space with contemplative musings like “Do trees have souls?”, “Do trees smile when I swing in their branches?”, and “Do they feel loved being a home…?” The girl is dwarfed by the silent guardians, with the occasional bird peeking out to observe. She revels in nature and is a wonderful self-insert for readers who imagine themselves running their fingers across bark, digging their fingers into soil, and swinging from branches. A warm white background provides a nice backdrop for the brown and green trees to pop against; larger, decorative font emphasizes key ideas and words throughout. Endpapers show our main character climbing a tree to peek into a hole – maybe to see a squirrel family – while a white bird peeks out of another hole, watching. A friendly, easy introduction to trees that appeals to our feelings; great for a STEM introduction to preschool and kindergarten classes.
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