As an Oak Tree Grows

I used it as a mentor book to learn story sequences and other important thins.

This beautifully written and illustrated book is a clever timeline of the history of America from the times of indigenous people inhabitation through today. Illustrations subtly portray the arrival of Europeans and the Industrial Revolution. As a teacher, and now a homeschooling parent, this book is a marvelous tool for teaching both lower elementary concepts such as seasons and linear timelines through to upper elementary concepts such as the environmental changes incurred by America’s history. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

I read this book to a five year old girl who "planted" acorns in the dirt at a bus stop every day for a week. She loved it. The timeline made it extra fun as we connected each era to an American Girl Doll and to real events from history. It reminded me of Virginia Lee Burton's Little House book. I just recommended this book to a UU minister who is challenging her congregation to support change (like a tree changes) and that change (a new church building) will require modifying a majestic tree (a few limbs will have to be removed). Karas's Oak Tree inspires metaphorically as well as literally.

I enjoy the feeling of passing time that this book evokes. There are many things to talk about besides the tree in this book, industrialization, electricity, generations of family, climate change. This is a book that can be read over and over as children grow and be understood at different levels. My daughter was inspired enough to plant an acorn in the back yard so I give it a thumbs up.

'Nuf said!

My kids love following the timeline and seeing how things changed and progressed. Beautiful illustrations.

The boy just moved? This book needs revised to accurately reflect the Native American experience in history. How about he was forced out by colonizers? Shame on you for this inaccurate representation, there’s enough of this on the shelves already.

Love the illustrations and the change in decades. Starting from 1775 through the year 2000. I really enjoyed the 1925, 1950 and 1975 pages.