The Tree That Bear Climbed

By: Marianne Berkes
Illustrated by: Kathleen Rietz
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
Publication Date: August 2012
ISBN: 978-1607185284
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: November 2012

There’s a big, beautiful tree in the field that Bear is just dying to climb. Why? Well there must be something up at the top that he wants. But before he can get to the top, Bear has to start, well, at the bottom. And what better way to learn about trees and all their parts than by following Bear up that tree, going part by part, starting at the roots.

The Tree That Bear Climbed uses rhythmic repetition, using the familiar tale The House That Jack Built as the basis for the story. Starting with the roots, the book goes through all the major parts of a tree, and of its surrounding environment, adding a tidbit about what each part does.

This is the rain
that waters the soil
that feeds the roots
that anchor the tree
that Bear climbed.

There are quite a few parts to the tree and when readers get to the end, they’re in for a big surprise as Bear finds just what he was looking for…and then some! There are four pages of educational material at the back of the book to aid educators as well as interactive quizzes and further related material on the publisher’s website.

Quill says: A good first book to teach little ones all about plants, how they grow, and why they are so important.