Treemendous: Diary of a Not Yet Mighty Oak

by Bridget Heos, Mike Ciccotello (Illustrator)

This adorable picture book illustrates the life of a tiny acorn growing up to be a tall oak tree. A wonderful introduction to nonfiction for curious, nature-loving kids!

Hello, world! This little acorn is so excited to grow!

Told in the diary entries of an acorn, this picture book follows a young acorn and its long life as an oak tree, from being buried by a squirrel to towering over other trees. The text communicates the basic science simply and with humor, and the illustrations up the fun factor! Parents will love the sweet story and charming illustrations, and teachers and librarians will love the extra resources at the back.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Science, Nonfiction, Environment, Childrens, Humor

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 9, 2021

Reviews

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful way for young kids to learn the basic science of trees! Loved it! Love this author!this is my new favorite book& I plan on reading it repeatedly!

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

One small acorn shares his diary with the reader as he tells of his life span through the years and what it took for him to become the mighty oak that he is today. He also tells of his contribution to making the planet a better place to live.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covering 20 years in the life of an oak, this picture book follows a talkative acorn as it appears on the parent tree and then eventually falls to the ground, is carried to another location, and sprouts. Over the years it grows layers and bark, and the text describes how the tree finds nourishment, growing straight and tall. The double-page spread showing the change in the tree from its sixth year to its ninth is pretty impressive, giving hope to those who plant trees in their yards and then wonder if they'll ever grow tall enough to offer much-needed shade. There aren't many picture books that explain this process as simply as this one. Back matter includes information on the different parts of a tree as well as a diagram of its layers, including heartwood, sapwood, cambium cell layer, inner bark, and outer bark. There is also a page that shows the lifespan of this oak tree in a nutshell, flourishing in its hundredth year and past maturity with nary a leaf after three centuries. The story itself is told in a diary format, and the digital illustrations add character to this oak tree's tale. As a lover of puns and word play, I appreciated the book's title. Young readers will surely come to appreciate the trees that they often take for granted after reading this book.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great nonfiction book about the life of a tree. It starts out a tiny acorn and grows year after year (time passes quickly in this book out of necessity). Children can learn the parts of the tree with great illustrations and diagrams to help along the way. In the end is a summary of the life cycle of the tree as well. The first person narrative along with the great artwork (especially the facial expressions on the main character/tree), make the story very cute! My kids loved the growing little tree!

My kids didn't like that there was a picture in the life cycle of the tree that showed that eventually the tree will die out (in about 300-400 years). But that is a part of life, so I think it's important that it's in there. It was discrete and certainly tasteful, I feel it's inclusion is necessary (even if my kids don't like it), that's life.

Recommended for children ages 2-8

Anyone looking to foster an appreciation for nature (or education about nature) should check out this book. I feel this would be especially good for any child that might have trouble getting interested in non fiction because it's so cute and imaginatively written and drawn.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starting as a green acorn on a big oak tree, we read entries in the diary - one or two a year for a while, then every few years as things change. Planted by a squirrel who buried the acorn, it's growing in the shade of its grandmother, and getting bigger every year.

We learn about photosynthesis, the different kinds of bark, even how an oak tree affects global warming! Treemendous is so cute! I loved the sweet faces Mike Ciccotello put on the trees. Not too cartoony, just enough to make the tree personable, but it is still a tree. A great way to explore the life of a mighty oak, from seed to mature tree.

Cross posted to https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Maribel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction picture book is a great introduction to a science unit of plants. Written as the diary of an acorn waiting to grow into an oak tree, this book narrates the growth process of how a plant grows, what it needs to thrive, & uses scientific words students are familiar with or plan on learning during this unit.

In the classroom - I'd love to use this as a read aloud (reading a few pages each day we learn a new lesson) as we learn about the process of a plant growing, what I needs for food, and conduct an experiment.

[Court · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure that the audience for this story is clear.

The pictures are great; the eyelashes and smile on the acorns and trees reminds me a lot of Disney/Pixar animations. I think the "diary" aspect of this story could have been used more often, and I feel the science came too late.

However, the simplicity of much of the text makes this book a great introduction to a science unit or a family talk about Earth Day, a nature walk, your backyard, etc.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Treemendous tells the story of a small acorn becoming a mighty oak. Using a quasi-journal format which could be a good model for aspiring writers. The reader also learns a lot about the tree growth from the journal entries and the illustrations. Reference pages in the back of the book also provide additional information and connections to other resources. A good book for a classroom collection especially when studying plants.

[Sheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A diary or story of an acorn's life journey and nature with many facts. The differences between the oak and other trees are compared. But when a squirrel hides the acorn the seed grows into a sapling and then a tree and follows it. The expository diary and dates show the years it takes to grow to full maturity and see how long it takes to become a mighty oak. Good early science resource as well as an interesting story.

[Debbie Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute gold mine for young children interested in trees. I immediately thought of when I frantically tried to find books appropriate for Kindergarten students ... and this would've been perfect! Written in diary entries, a young acorn is excited to get started on his adventure to becoming a tree. As the book continues, we see how the tree's cycle of life continues. It would be a MUST for me. 🙂

[Lauri Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written as diary entries, a little acorn aspires to be a big oak in his family of 10,000 oak trees. Follow the life cycle of a tree plus learn science facts.(Chlorophyll, photosynthesis, global warming, tree anatomy, etc)
Lots of cute punny humor (“the pine trees go overboard with holiday décor” “time flies when you’re having sun”)

Great illustrations!

[Elizabeth Hassinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading The Wisdom of Trees by Lita Judge and think these two books would pair beautifully. You could also use this book with Diary of a Worm (or Spider or Fly versions) as a mentor text set on journaling. Super cute, hope to eventually buy it.

[Cathy Ogren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed this book. The diary format follows a small acorn as it slowly grows into a mighty oak. It is cleverly written with tree puns and information about the growth of oak trees. Along with the colorful and engaging illustrations, this book makes for a "tremendously" fun read.

[Katie Reilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable acorn takes readers on a journey through 20 years of its life as an oak tree. Perfect for explaining the scientific processes to young readers, with bright illustrations and back matter identifying the anatomy of a tree.

[Chelsea DiCicco · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun way to teach kids about the life of an oak tree and it’s growth process! Diary entry style from the eyes of a little acorn. Adorable concept for a steam picture book. And the puns were too cute!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated story of a tree. Heos takes readers from acorn to full grown oak tree. This particular tree tells it's own story through diary entries. Some humor and plenty of information slipped in along with the personal story of this tree.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thinking of using this in Storytime, but it's got too much dense information to read in front of a big group of wiggly preschoolers. It would be more suited to reading to some slightly older kids - 1st or 2nd or even 3rd graders. I still liked it, just not for preschool Storytime.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children's Nonfiction
Picture Book

An acorn keeps a journal about its own growth throughout the years!

This is cute and fun and educational all at the same time.

Includes even more facts about acorns, trees, and more at the end of the story.

[Kirsti Call · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Bridget's books, and this one if filled with puns and a unique little acorn/tree voice. The diary format is super fun to read and expressive illustrations make this one another winner!

[Elizabeth]

Once again, I learned more from a picture book that I ever did in science class.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, science-y read with my 8 and 10 year old!

[Myles Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

The diary of the life of a tree! Great illustrations and factual information!

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever and fun for all readers to learn about the life cycle and importance of trees. The illustrations are adorable.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little acorn's life as it grows. Lovely book about trees and their importance.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book about trees. I took off a star because of one uneccesary page about global warming.

[Heather]

Loved the illustrations

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute little acorn! Would be great for reading about during science. It would also be a great mentor text for other science processes. (Earth rotating/revolving, water cycle, etc....)

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet book about life, science and nature

[Zane Barnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for science integrated lessons about plants! Great book for even fall time!

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really cute and fun story that follows the life of an acorn as it grows into an oak tree. It's fun and informative as the acorn is personified and teaches young readers how a little acorn becomes a giant oak tree.