Every Time I Climb a Tree

by David T.W. McCord, Marc Simont (Illustrator)

The poetry of the award-winning David McCord is a gift to children and to all who love language. From the brilliantly simple demonstrative of onomatopoeia, The Pickety Fence, to the observant title poem, this is a collection to be cherished. Superbly illustrated by Mark Simont's drawings, which capture the fun and nuance of the words, this group of poems is sure to grab the attention of children, who delight in the magic of wordplay and rhythm -- a magic that David McCord excels at conjuring.

Genres: Poetry, Picture Books, Childrens

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[Anna Ryckman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of fun, light-hearted poems that don’t connect in a traditional plot aspect. I loved how the poems were told from a child’s perspective as they maneuver their way through life and the beautiful and simplistic illustrations fit perfectly. I love how they challenged me to think of different perspectives with everyday life. These poems are written so they are enhanced when you read them aloud, especially the “Pickety Fence” poem. It engages readers to play with words that doesn’t just bring joy to the readers, but also helps them with their reading aloud skills. All of the poems had simple words, but the format of the poem elicited a deeper meaning so that young readers and advanced readers can relate and enjoy this book. I would use poems from this collection in my classroom to build appreciation for poetry and make poetry less intimidating. I loved how the poems use repetition and rhyme to entertain readers and perfectly describes what we typically think of when we think of poetry.

[Danette · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a mother to tree climbers, I especially liked the title poem.

5/30/23 Read with Naomi and Skylar

[Sammi Nutter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every Time I Climb a Tree by David McCord is a collection of individual short poems that do not connect to each other. While they all have similar themes, the types of poems vary from haikus, ballads, and sonnets. A common theme within the poems is nature. While this book may seem outdated as it was written in 1967, it is still a great book for teachers to use when introducing poetry as the audience can have fun with the text. The illustrations are unique and are not nearly as vibrant, detailed or engaging as we see in many picture books today. This book made me question poetry as there were so many different genres and lengths and got me interested in learning more and eventually, creating a lesson about it in hopes to answer other people’s questions. I will use this book within my class when introducing poetry as students can simply have fun with the text and not worry about finding the deeper meaning in hopes to show students that poetry can be fun.

[Nicole Quijada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Time I Climb a Tree consists of different fun light hearted poems. They do not connect to each other from a story standpoint. The poems are very lyrical with a lot of rhyme and are fun to read out loud. The poems are a fun approach to everyday life. There is no plot in this book. Each poem is telling a different story. The theme is as broad as having the poems revolve around everyday life, but a fun twist of it. Because of this theme, it makes the poems more relatable to things and activities that kids have done themselves. The mood of these poems is meant to be uplifting and fun. It did a good job at keeping the poems light and fun to read. This would be a good poem book to pull fun poems out of to work with a class. A lot of them can be read in cool ways that make poetry less intimidating for children and focus on the fun aspect of poetry.

[Missy Matula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reminded me a little bit of Shel Silverstein's style. The quality of the poems and illustrations were excellent. I really liked the poems and thought they were cute and age appropriate. For the younger readers, it was fun to listen to the rhyming words and look at the pictures and for the higher level readers, it was good for them to read this more difficult text and analyze poetry. I think poetry is a great way for readers to become writers. Writing poetry is a therapeutic outlet to have and a great way to express one's emotions.

[Abby Pana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every Time I Climb a Tree by David McCord is a collection of individual short poems that do not connect to each other. While they all have similar themes, the types of poems vary from haikus, ballads, and sonnets. A common theme within the poems is nature. Whether it be animals to snow, the majority of the poems have to do with nature. The tone of these poems are all from the perspective of a child as they navigate through everyday life. The audience of this story ranges from young children using the book to advance their verbal reading skills to adults diving into the deeper meaning and having fun with the conventions. The illustrations within the book do not add any particular value to the poems however, the creativity and quality of the poems within the book still make this a worthwhile read. Every Time I Climb a Tree was written in 1967, with this in mind, it could come across as outdated to the younger audience as the illustrations are very different from illustrations we see in books today. Overall this is a great book for teachers to expose their students to different styles of poetry and hopefully, find a passion for this genre of literature.

[Marcy Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every Time I Climb a Tree is composed of different light hearted poems that do not connect to each other from a story standpoint. Each poem is very lyrical with lots of rhymes that make it enjoyable to read aloud. The overall theme is pretty broad as it revolves around everyday life, even though none of the stories have any connection. These poems are relatable for children as they might have done the actives described. Each poem is to be uplifting and fun which makes poetry less intimating towards children, as it can be hard to understand at times.

[Eleni Grillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Time I Climb a Tree by David T. W. McCord is one of those beautifully articulated, poetic books rejoicing in the wonder of child exploration. I loved reading this to my little brother; the text carries a gentle rhythm with the joy and the feeling of freedom when one climbs trees and sees the world from another angle. Full-color pictures with simple yet deep text made it a very nice read. It is an ideal book to stir young readers' interest and imagination, reminding them about those small adventures that form a childhood.

[Josie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of poems within one book. They are all from the eyes of a child learning how to move through life, so they are all very innocent and simplistic.

The media used here seems to be colored pencil.

I would have this book in the classroom or library for any ages to read. Although the language seems to be very young, the messages can go deeper, so when teaching about how to look for a message beyond the text this might be a good place to start.

[Josiah Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awards: (None)

Appropriate Grade Levels: 2nd Grade

Summary: This is a poem that is all about the author climbing up a tree, seeing what he sees, him falling down and the view he has from the tree.

Review: I feel the book does a fun great job of mixing poetry, fun, and imagery for children. It's something that I feel could really inspire children to want to go outside and really explore their backyard.


Possible Uses in Class: It can be used as an introduction to poetry as well as discussing nature.

[Erica Gronowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun poem all about a little kid climbing a tree. The poem describes what its like to climb a tree and what the little boy sees from the tree when he gets to the top. It rhymes throughout the poem and describes what its like for this little boy to climb a tree.

5 because this is a great example of Poetry and a fun read

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sillier than you think you'd want, but the way words are is weird, and David McCord makes it all feel feather-light. "This Is My Rock" shifts the whole thing to something quiet and real. "Bananas and Cream" feels classic. The illustrations are what I long for: complementary and unobtrusive and yet I'd put them all on my walls.

[Madison Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poem shows the students that when you climb a tree you are "free". I think that this means that when you climb a tree you are in charge of what happens. You are the only person in the tree, and decide what to do. An activity that I would do with my students after reading this poem is to have them make their own poems.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Poetry
Grade range:
Review: This is a poetry book with a bunch of poems that don't go with each other, they're just a bunch of really good poems that the author wrote but all put into one book! I really like this concept because it's easy to read to the students. It helps calm them down after a recess or pe class!

[Destiny Deaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books was filled with amazing children’s poems. They don’t connect at all, but tell great stories. I like how the poems are read from a child’s point of view. I think this is a very good book to use when students are learning about rhyming words, or to help a struggling student.

[Alexis Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that the poetry stands alone. You can pick up and put down without staying on track because there is no plot. It is a very simple and fulfilling message on everyday life. The lines flow and kids love how creative the poems are.

[Megan Shaffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this story may be great to some, I did not find it very interesting or engaging. It was not entertaining, but may be beneficial for young students to assist in reading. As a poem, it was very simple and easy to understand, however I found it very uninteresting.

[Lady reading under the Willow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and mostly humorous, though some poems were more serious and pretty, especially the last one in the book.

Note: there was one poem about a broom in a shed possibly belonging to a witch.

[Emily Nunez-Eddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Every Time I Climb a Tree" is a collection of poems by author and illustration David T.W. McCord. In "Every Time I Climb a Tree", readers get an inside view of a child's life, through a childlike perspective. What happens when you climb a tree? What happens when you lick a fence? What happens when you see a worm on the floor? With rhythm and prose, each page turns into the next, revealing a new poem, and in turn, a new situation to laugh about, cry about, or relate to. "Every Time I Climb a Tree" is a must-have for all ages -- the simplistic vocabulary makes for a solid read for younger readers, while more advanced readers can enjoy and appreciate the deeper themes within each humorous poem.
McCord's illustrations within "Every Time I Climb a Tree" are beautiful. Each page contains its own poem, and in turn, it's own illustrations. Surrounded by negative space, the relatively simplistic-seeming illustrations create a bare-bone effect, which perfectly parallels the block, to-the-point text. The illustrations usually contain one character with one or two objects, and seem to be created through using watercolor and charcoal pencil. Although the simplicity of the illustrations may seem uninteresting at first, the simplicity of the illustrations help highlight clues and insight to the corresponding poems. For example, in the poem "The Pickety Fence", the reader may be a bit confused with the short poem, which states "Give it a lick, its the pickety fence, give it a lick, its the clickety fence". This prose may be confusing for some, but the illustration of a young girl running along a fence with a stick, tapping against each beam, gives insight as to what the "clickety fence" is referring to. In this way, the illustrations serve two purposes: to compliment the illustrations, and also to provide relevant clues to help readers infer a deeper meaning from the prose. The colors are bright, such as the neon-yellow fence, and the characters are relatively realistic, adding up to a set of illustrations that are short, sweet, and to the point.
Though the prose may seem very basic, it is in fact laced with deeper themes and meanings that can be relevant for children of all ages. In the poem "Every Time I Climb a Tree", the young child explains the difficulties he experiences when he climbs a tree - he gets bitten by ants, attacked by bees, and always, always, always scrapes his leg or skins his knee. Yet, despite having adults yell at him and question where he's been, he loves climbing trees, and expresses feeling "free". This poem explores the innocence of childhood, the desires of a child, and the need of all people, regardless of age, for an escape at times. Each poem relates childhood with adulthood and universal feelings, helping tie the poems to a community and world relevance for every child.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are of colored pencil texture. It consists of simplistic illustrations that fit perfectly with simple poems.

Summary: The story consists of different fun light hearted poems. They do not connect to each other from a story standpoint. The poems are very lyrical with a lot of rhyme and are fun to read out loud - a fun approach to everyday life. There is no plot in this book because each poem is telling a different story.

Response: love how they challenged me to think of different perspectives with everyday life. These poems are written so they are enhanced when you read them aloud. It engages readers to play with words that doesn’t just bring joy to the readers, but also helps them with their reading aloud skills.

Classroom Usage: I would use poems from this collection in my classroom to build appreciation for poetry and make poetry less intimidating. I loved how the poems use repetition and rhyme to entertain readers and perfectly describes what we typically think of when we think of poetry.

[Mandee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a themed collection that takes you through a child’s life. These poems explores the innocence of childhood, the childlike desires and the need for an escape at times. From learning how to climb a tree, to talking to bugs (Glow worm) this book is full of rhythm.
This book contains different types of poems like haiku, ballad, and sonnets.
The vocabulary makes it an easy to read for younger readers, yet the more advanced readers can enjoy and appreciate deeper themes within each poem. I think Kindergarten through 4th.
As you read through you see that each page contains its own poem and illustrations for that poem. The illustrations usually contain one character with one or two objects, and look like they are created with watercolor and charcoal pencil. The illustrations aide the reader by giving clues to the poems meaning. For example in The Pickety Fence, you read “give it a lick, it’s a clickety fence” and you see a girl running and hitting the fence with a stick. The colors are bright, such as the neon-yellow fence, and the characters are realistic.
I liked Scat! Scitten! because I could picture the children laughing out loud with the words as well as the illustrations. It was short and funny.

[Brandon Hardesty · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Every Time I Climb a Tree" is a poetry/picture book written for children. I could see children as young as four enjoying this.

It's similar to other poetry books, like Shel Silverstein: a compilation of poems that are not necessarily related in any way. The poems have a variety of subjects including:

- a family of ladybugs
- a couple of children using a telescope
- a child sitting on a rock enjoying a sunset

Like Silverstein, but maybe with a gentler touch, some of the poems are funny and some are meant to help the reader reflect. I thought I even recognized some of the poems. The "Pickety Fence" poem sounded very familiar.

I thought the poems were very well-written, not adhering to any particular form, and although there were a variety of subject involved, a good deal of them dealt with things that a child would encounter while playing outside. I'll always welcome a work of fiction that might encourage young children to get out of the house and run around a little bit.

The illustrations are whimsical and fun, and have a very calming feel to them. I would recommend these to a child of any age.

04/29/16

[Michelle Henry]

As a collection of a variety of different style of poems, this book uses rhyme and onomatopoeia throughout all the poems. With interactive picture and writing, this collection engages young children in the works as well as stretches the boundaries of their imagination. This great work of literature exemplifies how poetry can be utilized in the classroom to stress the importance if phonemic awareness and rhyming words.

Merged review:

A classic collection of literature, the use of words to attract the attention of students is apparent in these fun and exciting poems. Students can become engaged during read alouds with the usage of onomatopoeia and rhyme. These poems demonstrate to students creativity with words and also the generic form of poems as well.

[Natalie Cosellian · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. A poem about what it is like to climb a tree through a child's eyes. The speaker repeats "every time I climb a tree" multiple times because it is the main purpose. The speaker explains what happens and what they see when they climb a tree and how free it feels. A great poetry book with repetition.
2. This book resembles repetition and rhyme. As in our book, it also has personification, human qualities to an object. An example was "swallows rooftops".
3. I enjoyed this poem because it provides opportunities to use your senses. I can flashback and remember how it felt to climb a tree as a kid. This book could be used in the classroom with movement for kids to experience poetry.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Time I Climb a Tree by David McCord is appropriate for children in 3rd grade. This book has resembles repetition and rhyme. The repetitive phrase is "Every time I climb a tree." I think this book offers a fair amount of personification such as, but every time I climb a tree I see a lot of things to see swallows rooftops and TV. I could use this book as a reference to the beginning lessons over personification. I think it would be fun for the children to come up with their own personification for an opening activity.

[Leah Sidell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every Time I Climb a Tree, was written in 1925 and contains different types of poems like haiku, ballad, and sonnet. The illustrations are made with water colors that provide so much detail and makes them look real. Every poem in this book sets its own tone which gives the reader a chance to experience all types of emotions. Students would love this book and can use it as a guide to be creative and write their own poem and use water colors to make their picture.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Time I Climb a Tree is a collection of poems by the author David McCord. He captures every day moments and write about them in verse form. This book has many different poems you can read to your class and as well as just for yourself. It is important to read poetry in a classroom so It is important that you have a book like this in your classroom so you can refer to when reading poetry.

[Maddison Askew]

This is a great book and I feel like most kids can relate to most of these poems, as they are about everyday, normal things--like trees and rocks. McCord puts a new perspective on the way we can see everyday things. Recommended for grades 1 through 3. You could use this book to have children write their own poem about nature.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like most kids can relate to most of these poems, as they are about everyday, normal things--like trees and rocks. McCord puts a new perspective on the way we can see everyday things. Recommended for grades 1 through 3.

[Brittney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are colorful and go along with the poems. Most of the poems are on the shorter side which would make them easier for children to concentrate on, they are about realistic topics, and have a fun rhyming scheme.