PB Review: The Tree in Me
The Tree in Me by Corinna Luyken (Dial Books, 56p., ages 4-8, 9780593112595)
Corinna Luyken (My Heart; illustrator of Nothing in Common) uses lyrical language and luminous illustrations to create a splendid picture book in which she likens a child's internal landscape to the parts of a tree, successfully conveying the interconnectedness of humans to nature--and to other human beings, as well.
The first-person narrator describes "the tree in me" as many things: it is delicious flavors ("part apple,/ part orange-pear-almond-plum,/ part yummm!"); it is the coalescence of its components ("seed and blossom, bark and stump,/ branch and trunk/ and crown"); and it can even be defined by its visitors ("bird-squirrel-worm/ and bee"). This tree has "roots that go deep.../ down to where other roots reach up toward their own trunk-branch-crown/ and sky too." The narrator, by virtue of recognizing "the tree in me," is able to "see/ that there is also a tree.../ ...in you!" A variety of races and ethnic backgrounds are represented in the exuberant children who populate this idyllic setting.
Luyken's spare text uses double-page spreads and page turns to great effect, and her art gracefully ties the extended metaphor to the child narrator. Dazzling gouache, pencil and ink illustrations adorn the pages in earth tones and exuberant pinks, yellows and blues, and prominent textures add movement and complexity to the inviting art. The Tree in Me is a gem of a picture book that shares the inspiration Luyken finds in "love, nature, and the web of relationship that connects us all." --Lynn Becker, blogger and host of Book Talk, a monthly online discussion of children's books for SCBWI.
Discover: In comparing a child with a tree, this heartfelt picture book harmoniously conveys the interconnectedness of humans and nature.
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