Module 3: A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry

BOOK COVER IMAGE:

BOOK SUMMARY: 

"A Tree is Nice" by Janice May Udry presents all of the ways a tree serves its purpose.  The narrator takes us on a journey to discover trees of all sorts from forests to orchards and even trees that are beginning to grow in someone's yard.  Udry demonstrates that trees are more than scenery, they can provide shade and a place to play.  As you learn how a tree can be nice, she ends with a reminder that you too will want to plant a tree of your own.  

APA REFERENCE OF BOOK: 

Udry, J.M. (1956).  A tree is nice. USA: Harper & Row Publishers.

IMPRESSIONS: 

The watercolor illustrations by Marc Simont provide readers a natural visual that is not overly stimulating to the eye.  The pages switch from color to black and white, which essentially allows the pages to stand out from one another because the eye must re-focus between the two types.  Udry's story is more than a narrative; it borders between fiction and non-fiction in that information on the purpose of trees is provided.  For instance, she writes that "A tree is nice because it has a trunk and limbs" (Udry, 1956), which is a fact but then she explains that those trunks and limbs can be climbed, making trees a fun place to play.  While the story lacks plot and character development, the narrative is "nice," with its basic vocabulary and calming tone.          

PROFESSIONAL REVIEW: 

"The illustrations in A Tree is Nice, done by Marc Simont, text by Janice May Udry and published by Harper, have won the Caldecott Award...A Tree is Nice is a picture book which can be used in many ways, including the classroom; but, most important of all, it is a delight to the small child.  Despite its simplicity, it is thought-provoking and provides the child with new avenues down which his imagination can run.  A tree is nice for shade, beauty, and usefulness, for combing and playing; and it fills up the sky." - Charlemae Rollins

Reference

Rollins, C., (1956). Newbery and Caldecott awards [Review of the book A Tree is Nice, by Janice Udry]. Top of the News, 13, 14.  

LIBRARY USES: 

A Tree is Nice can be used to introduce environmental topics to students, specifically dealing with trees.  This book will activate prior knowledge on trees and set the stage for creating a unit on botany.  Students can then end a unit of study by planting trees on the school grounds, where they can learn how to grow and care for a tree.