librarian’s picks
A fresh look at trees, farm life By Jennifer Prince Buncombe County Public Libraries
In two new picture books, readers are invited to not just look at the illustrations, but to see the illustrations. In doing so, readers are compelled to slow down, absorb the details, and gain a fresh perspective. In “Picture a Tree,” author and illustrator Barbara Reid begins with a simple, profound statement: “There is more than one way to picture a tree.” Reid presents colorful scenarios of town life. There is a park, a bus stop, a sidewalk and so on. All around are trees. Using spare language, Reid points out the potential trees have in an imagination. Trees are more than just scenery. For example, against a white winter sky, the bare dark branches of a tall, wide tree look like giant scribbles of ink. A tree in full summer leaf is home to squirrels, birds and bees. However, the apartment building in the background looks as if it might be perched in the tree as well, making the tree “a high-rise home sweet home.” Reid escorts readers throughout the four seasons, showing worlds of possibility in trees laden with snow, blossoms and leaves of green, red and yellow. The illustrations in “Picture a Tree” were made with Plasticine that was shaped and then pressed onto illustration board. Readers will enjoy poring
area story times Buncombe County Libraries Visit www.buncombecounty.org Black Mountain, 250-4756: Preschool: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday; Mother Goose: 11:30 a.m. Tuesday; Toddler: 10:30 a.m. Thursday East Asheville, 250-4738: Preschool: 11 a.m. Wednesday and Saturday Enka-Candler, 250-4758: Preschool: 10:30 a.m.
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over the colorful, detailed images of everyday life. The three-dimensional quality of the actual illustrations comes across with stunning clarity in the two-dimensional
Wednesday; Toddler: 10:30 a.m. Thursday Fairview, 250-6484: Mother Goose, 11 a.m. Tuesday; Preschool: 10:30 a.m. Thursday; Toddler: 11 a.m. Wednesday Leicester, 250-6480: Preschool: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday North Asheville, 250-4752: Preschool: 11 a.m. Wednesday; Toddler: 10 a.m. Wednesday; Mother Goose, 10:30 a.m. Tuesday Oakley/South Asheville, 250-4754: Mother Goose: 11 a.m. Thursday; Toddler: 11 a.m.
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format. It looks as if the reader could reach through the page and touch the trees, people and buildings. The contemplative nature of this book makes it a natural selection for independent readers and for one-on-one sharing. In “I Spy on the Farm,” author and illustrator Edward Gibbs takes readers on an unusual tour of the farm. The reader meets all kinds of farm animals, but thanks to Gibbs’ clever presentation, the reader has to guess about each animal’s identity. For instance, the first page shows a small, bright eye peeking out of circle. The text reads, “I spy with my little eye…” The opposite page has a hole cut in the middle. In the hole, there is a patch of yellow. The text reads, “…something yellow that begins with a D.” When the reader turns the page, a vibrant two-page spread shows, of course, a duckling. The ensuing pages reveal a lamb, pig and other farm animals in a like manner. Gibbs’ illustrations were created digitally. The backgrounds consist of easily recognizable farmyard silhouettes — a scarecrow, trees, a fence. The colors are pale. The stars of the book, the animals, are rendered in more detail. Bold, black outlining adds emphasis. The hide-andseek aspect of this book makes it a fun choice for one-on-one and group sharing. These books are available in the Buncombe County Public Libraries. To learn more, visit www.buncombecounty.org/library.
Wednesday; Preschool: 10 a.m. Wednesday Pack Memorial Library, 250-4700: Preschool: 10:30 a.m. Mondays; Mother Goose: 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays; Toddler: 10:30 a.m. Thursdays; Reading Corner (ages 6-12): 3:30 p.m. first Wednesdays Skyland/South Buncombe, 250-6488: Preschool: 10:30 a.m. Thursday; Toddler: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday Swannanoa, 250-6486: Preschool: 11 a.m. Thursday; Toddler: 10 a.m. Thursday; Mother Goose: 2:30 p.m. Thursday (starting April 18)