Barbara Bash

One of a number of informational picture-books about trees that author/illustrator Barbara Bash has published - others include In the Heart of the Village: The World of the Indian Banyan Tree, Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus and Ancient Ones: The World of the Old-Growth Douglas Fir - this engaging title highlights one of the stars of the arboreal world: the magnificent baobab. Opening with a !Kung folk belief about the baobab - that it was planted by the hyena, when the Great show more Spirit was allowing each animal to plant a tree, but that the hyena, being late, and rather confused, planted it upside down - it profiles the wealth of species that depend upon it for sustenance, and the mini ecosystems incorporated in its body. From the many insects that feed upon its bark and foliage, to the birds who nest in its branches and trunk - not to mention the larger mammals, from bush babies to humans, who eat its fruit and flowers, or the honey made in its hollows - it becomes clear that baobab truly is a life-giving tree.

Informative and engaging, Tree of Life: The World of the African Baobab is everything that a natural history picture-book should be: educational, entertaining, and beautifully illustrated! The watercolor artwork is just lovely, with deep, vivid colors, and realistic depictions of flora and fauna. The African savannah really comes to life in Bash's paintings, which are full-page, with the text appearing in the lighter, background portion of the artwork. I learned quite a bit, and, as should always be the case with good non-fiction, came away with a desire to know more - if the hyena planted the first baobab, according to the !Kung, then which trees did the other animals plant? - which means that I will undoubtedly be picking up the three other titles in Bash's Tree Tales series. A great big thank you to my goodreads friends Chandra and Kathryn, who alerted me to this one - I might never have picked it up, otherwise, and that would have been a shame! Highly recommended to all young tree-lovers and naturalists, and to anyone looking for good children's non-fiction. show less

Barbara Bash returns once again to the arboreal world in this third entry in her Tree Tales series - other titles include: Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus, Tree of Life: The World of the African Baobab and In the Heart of the Village: The World of the Indian Banyan Tree - this time examining the life-cycle of the Douglas Fir. Detailing the wealth of wildlife that rely on them - for their homes, for their food - she demonstrates that these massive trees are, in addition to being show more an important part of the Pacific Northwest ecosystem, entire ecosystems in their own right. Some animal species, such as the Red Tree Vole, live their entire lives in the branches of the Douglas Fir. Bash concludes with a discussion of the tree as it slowly dies and disintegrates: the home and sustenance its downed trunk provides to many species, and the nutrients it provides to the soil itself, after it is finally broken down.

I found Ancient Ones: The World of the Old-Growth Douglas Fir just as engaging as its two predecessors, and think it would make an excellent title for use in a primary-school-level nature study. I learnt quite a bit from reading it, came away with a desire to know more, and found the artwork, with its lovely color palette and accurate depiction of flora and fauna, immensely appealing. I have only ever been in an old-growth forest once, but it was truly an awe-inspiring experience! I'm glad to see such an engaging work of natural history devoted to the topic, for the picture-book set. show less

The fourth and final entry in Barbara Bash's Tree Tales series - the other titles are: Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus, Tree of Life: The World of the African Baobab and Ancient Ones: The World of the Old-Growth Douglas Fir - this beautifully illustrated picture-book introduces young readers to the banyan tree, highlighting its central importance in an Indian village, as well as its role in providing food and shelter for a variety of animal species. Often mistaken for a small show more forest - single banyan trees can spread out over large areas, with roots growing down from their branches, until they reach the ground, and eventually become secondary trunks - the banyan provides a meeting place for nearby villagers, with the market and the school both being held beneath its branches. Its foliage, in the meantime, offers a nesting place to egrets, and its branches a playground for both human children and langur monkeys.

I enjoyed this picture-book examination of the world of the Indian banyan tree just as much as I did Bash's first three arboreal explorations, although I think the emphasis here was much more on human interaction, than in previous titles. Perhaps this makes sense, as the banyan tree is generally to be found much closer to human settlements, than the other trees profiled? In any case, I found the text informative, and the artwork very appealing, with its rich color palette, and accurate depiction of flora and fauna. Definitely another winner from Barbara Bash! show less

Children's natural history author and artist Barbara Bash, whose Tree Tales picture-book series explored the world of various arboreal species, turns here to the life of city birds, and the urban homes that they have created for themselves. From pigeons, who like to roost on window ledges, highway overpasses, and rooftops, to peregrine falcons, who nest on skyscrapers, the diverse range of birds profiled here have all learned to adapt themselves to a changing, increasingly urbanized show more environment.

Although I wouldn't say that I enjoyed Urban Roosts: Where Birds Nest in the City quite as much as Bash's Tree Tales, particularly Tree of Life: The World of the African Baobab (my favorite, of her books), I did find it engaging, and thought it was both informative and well illustrated. I'm always glad to run across books like this, which examine wildlife and nature in the city, as I think sometimes people assume (erroneously) that the two are mutually exclusive. This is one I would recommend to young ornithologists and nature-lovers. It can be paired with such titles as The Curious Garden, about the High-Line Park in NYC, or Pale Male: Citizen Hawk of New York City, a picture-book biography of one of the most famous city birds of all. show less