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Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Their Names
Have you ever heard of the Strangler Tree? The Bubblegum Tree? The Upside-Down Tree? How about trees with horns, bottles, sausages, crowns, and ones that walk or even explode? Crazy, maybe, but true. Find out more about these, and many others, in this colorfully illustrated collection of the most bizarre—but real—trees from around the world, once again reminding us that the art of nature is far stranger than fiction. The perfect book for inquisitive naturalists with imaginations, Strange Trees also includes a map of the world showing where the trees grew.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 19, 2019
First published in France under the title, Bizarbres mais vrais! (in 2013), for the 2016 English language edition, titled Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them (which has been translated by Yolanda Stern Broad), I do have to say that considering the "punny" title of Bernadette Pourquié's original French version, I am a trifle disappointed that the English language edition does not present itself with a similarly interesting and word-gamy, witty heading.
Now the sixteen depicted so-called strange trees (from every continent except for Europe and of course Antarctica) and their individual stories are generally and for all intents and purposes both interestingly, evocatively recounted and also do much promote important messages of and for environmental conservation but without thankfully being too overt and heavy-handed with regard to this. That being said, I personally find Bernadette Pourquié's conversational, first person narrative rather annoying and even kind of presumptuous (I guess I would rather be told about the trees than to have the trees themselves narrate their own stories, but perhaps for the target audience, for the picture book crowd, a personal first person narrative might better keep children's interest and attention, especially considering the rather massive amounts of text, of information that are presented for each of the featured trees).
And while the general set-up and presentation of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them is successful and more than adequate, as someone with now less than stellar eyesight, I would definitely prefer the font size of the text, of the printed words to be a bit larger and the lettering a trifle bolder (not a huge and problematic issue by any means, but I do have to wear reading glasses for easy perusal of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them, and if I were actually reading this book aloud to a child or a group of children, the small and in my opinion rather cramped textual display would have me worried about possibly accidentally missing or skipping important information and details). But even more of a personal and academic annoyance is that there are no supplemental scientific, biologic details included and sadly, also no bibliographies and suggestions for further reading (which would greatly augment and improve the teaching and learning potentials and value of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them). And really, why are there NO trees from Europe included? While I realise that many European trees are pretty standard and not I guess strange or bizarre enough to be considered (at least according to the author’s philosophy), I beg to differ, as in my humble opinion, there are indeed also numerous examples of trees native to Europe that could be considered rather different and interesting, and thus worthy of inclusion (such as European Larch trees, for example, which while coniferous, in fact do actually lose their foliage in the winter similar to deciduous trees).
Cécile Gambini's accompanying full page illustrations are bright, evocative and descriptive, and while they would not generally be personal favourites by themselves (and as works of art), they work very well in conjunction with and to Bernadette's Pourquié's text (and of course by extension Yolanda Stern Broad's translation), both successfully mirroring the printed words and even at times providing appreciated additional details. However, and my general appreciation of the illustrations and how they work with, how they compliment the text quite notwithstanding, I have to personally comment that I find it somewhat insulting to French trees that Cécile Gambini seems to believe (from the information contained on the side flaps of the dust jacket) that the trees where she lives are beautiful but supposedly simply and utterly ordinary (as to and for me that gives a negative or at least can give a potentially negative attitude towards French trees as plants, as entities, as though the only worthwhile trees are the so-labelled extraordinary ones featured and found within the pages of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them).
Now the sixteen depicted so-called strange trees (from every continent except for Europe and of course Antarctica) and their individual stories are generally and for all intents and purposes both interestingly, evocatively recounted and also do much promote important messages of and for environmental conservation but without thankfully being too overt and heavy-handed with regard to this. That being said, I personally find Bernadette Pourquié's conversational, first person narrative rather annoying and even kind of presumptuous (I guess I would rather be told about the trees than to have the trees themselves narrate their own stories, but perhaps for the target audience, for the picture book crowd, a personal first person narrative might better keep children's interest and attention, especially considering the rather massive amounts of text, of information that are presented for each of the featured trees).
And while the general set-up and presentation of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them is successful and more than adequate, as someone with now less than stellar eyesight, I would definitely prefer the font size of the text, of the printed words to be a bit larger and the lettering a trifle bolder (not a huge and problematic issue by any means, but I do have to wear reading glasses for easy perusal of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them, and if I were actually reading this book aloud to a child or a group of children, the small and in my opinion rather cramped textual display would have me worried about possibly accidentally missing or skipping important information and details). But even more of a personal and academic annoyance is that there are no supplemental scientific, biologic details included and sadly, also no bibliographies and suggestions for further reading (which would greatly augment and improve the teaching and learning potentials and value of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them). And really, why are there NO trees from Europe included? While I realise that many European trees are pretty standard and not I guess strange or bizarre enough to be considered (at least according to the author’s philosophy), I beg to differ, as in my humble opinion, there are indeed also numerous examples of trees native to Europe that could be considered rather different and interesting, and thus worthy of inclusion (such as European Larch trees, for example, which while coniferous, in fact do actually lose their foliage in the winter similar to deciduous trees).
Cécile Gambini's accompanying full page illustrations are bright, evocative and descriptive, and while they would not generally be personal favourites by themselves (and as works of art), they work very well in conjunction with and to Bernadette's Pourquié's text (and of course by extension Yolanda Stern Broad's translation), both successfully mirroring the printed words and even at times providing appreciated additional details. However, and my general appreciation of the illustrations and how they work with, how they compliment the text quite notwithstanding, I have to personally comment that I find it somewhat insulting to French trees that Cécile Gambini seems to believe (from the information contained on the side flaps of the dust jacket) that the trees where she lives are beautiful but supposedly simply and utterly ordinary (as to and for me that gives a negative or at least can give a potentially negative attitude towards French trees as plants, as entities, as though the only worthwhile trees are the so-labelled extraordinary ones featured and found within the pages of Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them).
August 21, 2016
Very nice picture book detailing in individual vignettes 13 trees from around the world that might not be well known to kids. The format is one of the tree talking to the reader, describing itself and how it lives and grows. I learned A LOT, and it was fascinating stuff. Each tree's double page spread gets its own unique border. Gambini's illustrations are delicate, vibrant, and delightful.
My only wish would have been to include a photographic list of the trees in the back so kids could see them in their native habitats, live and in color. The rainbow tree alone is pretty amazing.
NOTE: This review may appear on my library's social media book review channel in the near future.
My only wish would have been to include a photographic list of the trees in the back so kids could see them in their native habitats, live and in color. The rainbow tree alone is pretty amazing.
NOTE: This review may appear on my library's social media book review channel in the near future.
May 20, 2017
Loved the idea of this book but found the style, approach, and text unengaging despite my own arboreal adoration.
July 6, 2017
This is one of those books that was actually more of a letdown than I would normally like to admit. First of all the book is suppose to be educational, which is its number one attraction for me. Second it is suppose to be directed towards younger crowds and as such should hold a promise of making the reading material much easier and less boring to partake of.
Well the book hit the first mark but it wasn't quite consistent in its presentation. The reason why I say this is that the each page is introduced by the name of the tree but the next part differs. In some cases the scientific name of the tree is given to the reader and there is no pronunciation guide to help with some of the tricky language while in other cases of trees an alternative name is given. Although there is a cover page and end page map of the locations of the trees included in the book with their scientific names I think the reader should have been presented with either/or instead of a mix of secondary names.
Second of all the writing was a bit on the oddballish side in the fact that it is suppose to be a book for children but couldn't really hold my attention. The author seemed to use more words than was totally necessary or to take the reading off by changing the tone of the writing to make some joke or reference to the reader instead of keeping with the same styling format.
What I did like about the book was the beautiful illustrations that showed the trees as they can be seen in real life and the variety of trees selected. There didn't seem to be much of any criteria needed but in the long run they were able to consistently choose the trees that either we don't know much about and/or those that are more exotic than some of us see each day.
Furthermore each page was garnished with two small trivia facts that gave the reader a quick bite of more understanding on various topics.
And finally the other thing that helped to get this book another star than just one is the way the trees were presented. If you look at the name of the tree each title is given a different format and look that relates to the tree provided. It was truly a genius stroke that captured my eyes while for a while I just flipped back through the pages to enjoy the selections of each tree.
All in all if you have really young children than I wouldn't suggest the book since although the illustrations may be a source of attraction the wordiness will stop their interest fast. For others the reading material will have to be up to their tastes and of course how they perceive this book.
Well the book hit the first mark but it wasn't quite consistent in its presentation. The reason why I say this is that the each page is introduced by the name of the tree but the next part differs. In some cases the scientific name of the tree is given to the reader and there is no pronunciation guide to help with some of the tricky language while in other cases of trees an alternative name is given. Although there is a cover page and end page map of the locations of the trees included in the book with their scientific names I think the reader should have been presented with either/or instead of a mix of secondary names.
Second of all the writing was a bit on the oddballish side in the fact that it is suppose to be a book for children but couldn't really hold my attention. The author seemed to use more words than was totally necessary or to take the reading off by changing the tone of the writing to make some joke or reference to the reader instead of keeping with the same styling format.
What I did like about the book was the beautiful illustrations that showed the trees as they can be seen in real life and the variety of trees selected. There didn't seem to be much of any criteria needed but in the long run they were able to consistently choose the trees that either we don't know much about and/or those that are more exotic than some of us see each day.
Furthermore each page was garnished with two small trivia facts that gave the reader a quick bite of more understanding on various topics.
And finally the other thing that helped to get this book another star than just one is the way the trees were presented. If you look at the name of the tree each title is given a different format and look that relates to the tree provided. It was truly a genius stroke that captured my eyes while for a while I just flipped back through the pages to enjoy the selections of each tree.
All in all if you have really young children than I wouldn't suggest the book since although the illustrations may be a source of attraction the wordiness will stop their interest fast. For others the reading material will have to be up to their tastes and of course how they perceive this book.
January 13, 2017
Not your usual children's book by any stretch of the imagination and missing some things like sources and a recommended bibliography that would have been great.
Having said that, I have to also say that I loved this, read it over several days and picked it up eagerly to see what was on the next page. There are big blocks of text written in a conversational, almost confiding style. The opposite page features full page stunning illustrations. And the trees - absolutely fascinating information about trees I have mostly never heard of before such as walking trees, rainbow trees and dynamite trees! The end pages feature a map showing location of the species and I referred to that often.
Not for every reader but I loved it and can't wait to share it with some kids who I know will be fascinated.
Having said that, I have to also say that I loved this, read it over several days and picked it up eagerly to see what was on the next page. There are big blocks of text written in a conversational, almost confiding style. The opposite page features full page stunning illustrations. And the trees - absolutely fascinating information about trees I have mostly never heard of before such as walking trees, rainbow trees and dynamite trees! The end pages feature a map showing location of the species and I referred to that often.
Not for every reader but I loved it and can't wait to share it with some kids who I know will be fascinated.
October 10, 2016
It's an interesting and beautifully illustrated book. I really liked it. Also, I learnt a lot about weird and special trees, which from each of them, I ended up looking for them in the internet. They are quite cool and I wanted to know more about them, that's why I thought the information it gave was limited, but considering it's a children's book, I think it's just fine to get them interested and stimulate their curiosity! :)
June 6, 2019
Ridiculous to have the trees talk about themselves. All the children that I know who like non-fiction like lists, numbers, data, not narrative with forced humor that doesn't even answer the questions we have (for example how fast does the red mangrove itself 'walk?').
There's also an unfortunate illustration of Chief Sequoyah. The text about him is fine, but the picture has him in full war-bonnet and just looking very odd.
There's also an unfortunate illustration of Chief Sequoyah. The text about him is fine, but the picture has him in full war-bonnet and just looking very odd.
June 27, 2016
Sort of nonfiction, sort of strange. Not sure how I feel about this title. Loved some of the illustrations.
July 5, 2016
This book is gorgeous - I read it with my daughter regularly. Each tree is fascinating and we end up going off to the internet to learn more.
July 18, 2016
A very interesting book with each page written from the voice of the tree--so great to teach voice with informational text.
October 8, 2016
Wonderful art but not so impressed with the text.
July 8, 2018
I saw this book on display at my local library and decided to check it out. I love to read about different species and the illustrations looked really awesome. I like the idea behind this book, but felt like the descriptions of the trees were lacking in sufficient detail and the language was trying too hard to be funny. This is an excellent jumping-off point for a youngster who likes trees and wants to see some interesting ones, but the information and illustrations may not be descriptive enough to convince me to add this to my classroom library.
September 7, 2023
Great concept! Unfortunately the writing was rough to get through. Maybe because it was translated to English from French? The rhyming scheme of the poetry was discarded part way through. The images were bright and inviting but left a lot to be desired from a nonfiction book. The information provided left a lot to be desired too and that's not from poor or difficult translations.
July 13, 2018
Highlights: rainbow eucalyptus, breadfruit, monkey-no-climb, walking tree, sausage tree, bullhorn tree, banyan tree, ghost tree, upside down tree
March 3, 2019
I love how the story is told from each trees perspective. his book is crazy interesting, and the illustrations are outstanding!
June 30, 2020
A great bedtime read with children under the age of 10. We loved hunting the trees on the world map, discovering quirky facts about those fascinating trees and musing at the beautiful illustrations.
July 21, 2020
Again, beautiful illustrations throughout this picture book. It was fascinating to read about the trees over the world and the wondrous gifts each one brings. Glad I read it.
February 5, 2021
A good book to teach about different kinds of trees and where they come from.
November 14, 2021
16 trees with some kind of unusual attribute are described, accompanied by beautiful mixed media paintings. Each spread features a description of the tree on the left side, told by the tree itself, and on the right side is a painting of the tree. This interesting and informative book will be welcomed by elementary students who love the unique and unusual.
April 5, 2017
My kids loved this book! We found out about so many beautiful and unusual trees by reading this book. We would also look up pictures and/or videos online of the trees - which is helpful especially since the artistic drawings in the book aren't always super accurate to how they look in real life.
I took off one star because the writing is a little hit and miss.
I took off one star because the writing is a little hit and miss.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews