A Grand Old Tree

I am so happy that my friend, Susana, told me about the book A Grand Old Tree by Mary Newell DePalma. Something (well, everything really) about this book...the story, the illustrations, the concept, is just beautiful. There are not too many childrens' books that move me, but this one did. The book tells the story of a tree that grew, flowered, spread, and shed millions of leaves while also providing shelter for many animals. Then the tree dies, but in reality it lives on in many ways, still providing shelter and comfort as it gradually decomposes, surrounded by its offspring. The story is a beautiful description of the cycle of life.

I could not return this book to the library without celebrating it with a craft. The arm/hand print tree has a great presence in blog land so this is nothing new, but it is a fun craft.

I painted R's arm and hand with brown paint and then she placed it on paper. She fixed the trunk a little with her paint brush.

Then, R used red, yellow, orange, and green paint on her fingers to dot autumn leaves on the tree.

I think she did a great job! What do you think?R's Grand Old Tree