Just One Oak: What a Single Tree Can Be

In a richly illustrated picture book that’s chock-full of ecological facts, Gianferrari (Rain and the Reading Horse) and Sudyka (Angela’s Glacier) venerate the astounding oak for its critical role as a keystone species. Employing anaphora, assonant lines highlight the many varied roles a single tree plays for a multitude of species across the seasons: “Just one oak.../ from the tip/ of its crown/ down to the ground,/ with roots all around,/ sustains so very/ many creatures.” Accompanying captions dive deep into adjacent topics, introducing concepts including marcescence (when a tree’s withered leaves remain attached) and the brown food web (the recyclers and decomposers who reside in leaf litter). Acknowledging the subject as both shelter and granary, the text goes on to celebrate the deciduous specimen’s roots (“farther than/ the canopy is wide”), acorns (“a nutritious superfood!”), and its important functions cleaning air and preventing erosion. Spreads depicting an abundance of goggle-eyed critters washed in watery earthy hues incorporate labels for a field guide–like effect that IDs myriad flora and fauna living in concert with a lone tree. It’s a satisfyingly comprehensive and appreciative portrait of oaks and their numerous contributions. Back matter provides further information. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Aevitas Creative Management. Illustrator’s agent: Andrea Morrison, Writers House. (Apr.)