Synopsis
One small seed grows one big tree, with blossoms... leaves... and apples-- red and rosy and ripe.
Delicious!
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2—With lyrical text and folk-style artwork, this handsome picture book celebrates the pleasures of a favorite food while accentuating nature's cycles and Earth's bounty. A luscious fruit is plucked from a tree branch, driven to a local farm stand, and purchased by a girl and her mother. After the apple is consumed ("Delicious!"), birds eat the core and seeds are scattered in the wind. Stages of growth are indicated as a newly sprouted tree is contrasted with one many years old (its size emphasized by a foldout page), and pink blossoms gradually transform into ripe fruit. The book ends with a "Thank you" directed at "birds, wind, sun, and bees" and the Earth itself. Blending jewel tones with colorful patterns, gracefully flowing lines, and intricate details, the paintings create a sense of wonder while depicting everyday details. The endpapers feature a delicate design of apples, seeds, bees, birds, blossoms, and more. The text and some of the full-page illustrations are framed by borders of leaves, vines, feathers, and other organic objects, all set against buff-colored backdrops that look like handmade paper. A lovely addition to units on seasons, apples, and nature appreciation, and just for savoring in general.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal