Other Books By Carol Reed-Jones:

The Tree In The Ancient Forest

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The remarkable web of plants and animals living around a single old fir tree takes on a life of its own. The repetitive verse aptly portrays the amazing ways in which inhabitants depend upon one another for survival. Includes a guide to the forest creatures and their interrelationships.

From American Library Association:

Ages 5-8. A 300-year-old fir tree is the main character in a forest drama depicting the cycle of interdependence between plants and animals. The truffles that grow on the roots of the fir tree are food for the mice, who, in turn, are food for the owls living in the hollow of the tree that was created by a woodpecker, and so on. Reed-Jones' cumulative verse technique, which very effectively illustrates the ecological concept, will make this book a lively story-time or lap-share read-aloud as well as a good choice for choral reading. Canyon's superb double-page illustrations can be appreciated both as fine works of art and as detailed studies of forest flora and fauna. To give children an even broader view of forest ecology, use this with Lynne Cherry's Great Kapok Tree (1990), a wonderful tale of the Amazon rain forest. Lauren Peterson
Copyright© 1995, American Library Association. All rights reserved

From The Publisher: 
The remarkable web of plants and animals living around a single old fir tree takes on a life of its own in this stunningly illustrated story. Carol Reed-Jones' repetitive, cumulative verse--a poetic technique that children universally love--aptly portrays the amazing ways in which the inhabitants depend upon one another for survival. Christopher Canyon's memorable drawings manage to be both magical and true to life. Complete with a guide to the forest creatures and their interrelationships, this book is a valuable learning tool as well as fun for kids.
 
From The Horn Book, Inc.: 
A cumulative tale describing some of the inhabitants of an ancient forest begins and ends with a Douglas fir. The narrative is illustrated with acrylic paintings of the tree and of the animals, insects, and fungi dependent upon its survival. The illustrations are somewhat garish, and the text does not flow smoothly.
 
From School Library Journal: 
Pre-School -Grade 1 Structured like ``This Is the House that Jack Built,'' this environmental rhyme aims to show the interdependence of living things in the ancient forests. The pace of the poem gets bogged down a bit when readers encounter verses such as ``These are the voles and mice that tunnel,/And eat the tiny, underground truffles/That grow on roots that draw food from the soil,/To nourish the three-hundred-year-old tree/That grows in the ancient forest.'' The theme, as well, is a bit belabored pine cones falling and startling a marten are part of the process. Acrylic paintings dominate the pages; they are mostly dark and somber and may seem slightly menacing. An introduction, in small dense print, outlines the meaning of interdependence, and a final section elaborates on the cast of characters. Not a vital purchase. Eva Elisabeth Von Ancken, Trinity Pawling School, NY
 
From Mary Clayton Rowen - Children's Literature: 
Through cumulative, repetitive verse, the interrelatedness of plant and animal life surrounding an old fir tree is revealed. The colorful, close up, real life illustrations cover the entire page with the text overlaid. It answers the two stated questions "What is an ancient forest?" and "Why are ancient forests important?" At the end there is a glossary that gives descriptions of the various plants and animals encountered in this enlightening and appealing book.
 
From Donald F. Logsdon - Science Books & Films: 
This is a book that parents can buy to read to their children and should be a welcome addition to the school library. Teachers can make effective use of the volume as part of science lessons, since the science is accurate and the book painlessly teaches important ecological lessons.

Order "The Tree In The Ancient Forest" Here:
Paperback
Hardcover
Library Binding