Tess's Tree by Jess M. Brallier Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Website to go along with an arbor day lesson or lesson on the enviroment for little kids = www.arborday.org/kids (note that is sponsored by toyota but it is still a good site)

Tess's tree talks about a little 9 year old girl's favorite tree. A storm breaks the tree and has to be cut down. She has a funeral service because she morns the loss of her tree.

I was looking at the new section of the curriculum lab because I know that you want us to find what is coming out and what it is current even though reading your favorite classic chidlren's books are fun. I looking into this one because the cover caught my eye and so did how the title was written. It in supposed to be tree branches. Then I turned it over and on the back was i was intrigued because there was a paragraph about how the company made a donation for the arbor day foundation to plant new trees.

We all know that the issue of the enviorment is a big one. I think that it is important to teach kids early on about how to treat the planet that they live on and not just so we can do soemthing about global warming or something but because I personally think the more natural places we have, the more people can enjoy it.

This story reminds me of my grandpa who I miss dearly. He was a gardender and LOVED his plants. He had little competitions with his friends about who could grow the biggest tomatos. I loved eating his radishes with some salt and evertime I sprinkle a little salt on a radish I think of him. Anyways, when I was pretty young he gave me a little furn tree. He also gave my brother one. So of course I had to run to the back yard and plant them in the back along a row of trees. They grew very slowly but without a doubt they were my favorite trees. In the winter I was scared the snow would burry them too much so I would dig them out. I would water them and take care fo them with care. We even put christmas ornaments up on them one year. One tree grew faster than the other but I can't remember which one.

We have since moved from that house for almost 6 years but I would be curious about what happened to those trees. I would hope that they are still there and growing strong.