A Little Guide to Trees

This delightful book is ostensibly designed to educate children on the different types of trees in the UK countryside. It succeeds on this front, but does much more besides. The inspired illustrations by Charlotte Voake are a delightful blend of the styles of Quentin Blake and Edward Ardizzone. They capture the essence of each tree and complement the weird and wonderful facts that are scattered throughout the text. The ‘My Tree Scrapbook’ section comprising titles of activities and illustrated borders is not quite congruous with the rest of the book. After all, given how special this book is, what adult would seriously allow a child to wield a pencil near it?