cover image We Planted a Tree

We Planted a Tree

Diane Muldrow, , illus. by Bob Staake. . Random/Golden, $17.99 (40pp) ISBN 978-0-375-86432-2

As Staake shows families around the world planting trees and enjoying their gifts, Muldrow sets an incantatory mood: “We planted a tree./ We planted a tree and it grew up.” Each spread bubbles with retro-styled, wide-eyed exuberance; it's a kick to see how Staake wields geometry as he gleefully globe-trots, wrapping his curvilinear-inclined aesthetic around locales as far flung as the African savanna, downtown Paris, Brooklyn, and snowy New England. Its unconditional joy and exuberance stand out. Ages 5–8. (Mar.)