Review of The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker

Authors

Emma Bapst, Cedarville UniversityFollow

Publisher

Candlewick Press

City

Somerville, Massachusetts, United States

Date of Publication

2023

ISBN

9781536223293

Date of Review

2024

Disciplines

Library and Information Science | Modern Literature

Keywords

Children's literature, reviews, nature, illustrations

Review

The Tree and the River presents a beautiful array of hand-drawn illustrations using materials such as pencil, gouache, and digital paint. While this book does not contain any written words, its illustrations tell a fantastic, thought-provoking story. Aaron Becker, award-winning author and illustrator, takes readers on a journey through time. Each turn of the page shows the same setting, but this setting changes over time. At first, the countryside is wild and full of trees and plants, and a small family is building the first house near the river. As the pages progress, the countryside changes—more people move into the area, and the tree and the river grow as well. The scene becomes so full of people that the tree and the river become neglected and used. The book ends with an acorn dropping from the tree and growing into a new tree. This book showcases the effects of time on a scene in the countryside. It is a good selection for understanding how lands, cultures, and peoples change over time.

Highly Recommended Emma Bapst, Centennial Library Intern, Cedarville University

Recommended Citation

Bapst, Emma, "Review of The Tree and the River by Aaron Becker" (2024). Library Intern Book Reviews. 415.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/415

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