The Oak Tree

‘Way back in time, a thousand years ago/An acorn in the ground began to grow….’ So Julia Donaldson begins her story tracing a thousand years of history through the great oak tree that develops from this tiny acorn; an oak that outlives the Anglo Saxons, Vikings, Tudors, Stuarts, Victorians and survives a World War until finally comes the storm that will see its fall. But then a new acorn starts to grow. Across all those centuries the oak tree is a playground for local children, a hiding place for a fugitive and a home for innumerable animals, birds and insects – even as a gradually decaying tree trunk. This is not a history book. Rather the aim is to introduce very young readers to the amazing longevity of an iconic tree species now threatened. Donaldson’s gentle rhyming text does this while providing opportunities for adult led stories expanding the text or for exploration in the local park or countryside. Victoria Sandǿy’s illustrations are a fitting accompaniment. Bold images fill each double page spread with children everywhere. There is the drama of nature as lightning strikes and then the final fall.  Together with children the illustrations are filled with wildlife for young eyes to spot. The whole concludes with a spread of interesting facts excite to young minds. This will certainly prove popular bringing as it does an element of factual exploration to the picture book to encourage enquiry and understanding.