Author: Görlitz Kristina Näslund
Illustrator: Kristina Digman
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 2005 (orig.2002)
Age: 3-7
Themes: apples, trees, seasons
Opening: All winter long, our apple tree rests. But not everyone is asleep.
Summary: (from Amazon) Here’s a whimsical and very useful look at the life cycle of the apple tree. With two helpful tree sprites as guides, readers travel from spring, when the apple tree blossoms, through summer, when the fruit grows, to fall and the harvest. Along the way, you’ll learn about the life of the tree and the animals that visit – from insects that pollinate the flowers to deer that eat the fallen fruit.
I like this book because: the story and pictures do so much more than describe the life cycle of apple trees. I love the magic that is brought to the experience, and amplified by the illustrations! A crisp and juicy example of the chemistry of a perfect picture book!
Resources/activities: Visit an apple orchard if possible, or take your time at a farmer’s market to talk to apple growers, taste a variety and bring them home to share with others! Make apple prints on paper (save to use as gift wrap during the holidays!), make a special apple dessert, or ne of my favorites: grated apple and carrot salad with a bit of lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
For more Perfect Picture Book Friday picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
Author: Margaret Wise Brown
Why I like this book: I like this version of Margaret Wise Brown’s book out of sentimentality: my beloved school librarian, Mrs. Nurnberg, read this one to us in elementary school.
Resources/Activities: take a walk in the forest and identify trees by their species and their age; discuss illnesses and what an illness might prevent one from doing; share your favorite Christmas songs.
For more Perfect Picture Book picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog 
julie rowan-zoch 