While waiting in a New York subway, an Asian-American boy spies a book titled Redwoods on the seat beside him. Curious, he picks it up, boards the train, and reads about these majestic giants. Thus begins an adventure of fantasy, time travel, and nonfiction.
Dinosaurs appear in the train window as the unsuspecting boy reads that the redwood’s early ancestors lived in prehistoric times. Next he learns that the first trees sprouted during the Roman Empire. So engrossed is the boy, he doesn’t notice that he is flanked by two citizens from that era. Exiting the underground train (illustrations show tree roots dangling from the subway ceiling), he steps into a lush forest of gigantean trees—and suddenly the awestruck child realizes he is in a different time and a place far from his familiar urban surroundings.
As Chin’s impressive watercolor illustrations reveal the boy’s experiences in the rainforest—escaping a blazing forest fire, scaling a redwood more than 300 feet high, and exploring the redwood’s canopy—the nonfiction text focuses solely on "tree facts." Fact: A redwood tree trunk is so huge that "a tunnel can be cut in it, big enough for a car to drive through." Fact: Not only does the wood contain tannin, a chemical that protects the trees from infection, but the thick bark’s high heat tolerance shields the redwood from fire. Fact: In addition to moss, fungi, bushes and even other trees, the redwood’s dense canopy is also home to spiders, salamanders, red tree voles, and other inhabits.
Comparing the redwood’s dizzying height to the Statue of Liberty, the boy eventually returns to his neighborhood where concrete and steel replace trees and vegetation. He leaves the magical book behind on a park bench and a curious girl picks it up and begins to read... So begins her adventure to the redwood forest. Vivid, imaginative and informative, Redwood concludes with a message about today’s environmental challenges, scale size graphics, and a passionate note from the author.
To learn more about Jason Chin, redwood facts, and related links, click here.
http://redwoodsthebook.com/facts.php
Redwoods is Jason’s Chin’s first book as both author and illustrator. In a recent interview, he discussed his inspiration: "I was on the subway reading a magazine article about scientists studying the redwood canopy. I got lost imagining these guys swinging from the treetops like Spiderman.” Jason enjoys visiting with children of all ages. He shows them his illustration process and shares information on redwood trees. He often includes a drawing exercise as part of his presentation. He currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.
This book was reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer. The bio was written by Laura Crawford.
This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up at Scrub-A-Dub-Tub- A Reading Tub blog.
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