Title: Franklin’s Trees
Author: A.J. Schenkman
Major Themes: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Presidents, Trees, Plants, Botany
Synopsis: One of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s passions was trees, and he loved being among them all his life.
If you have read very many of my reviews on this site, you will know that I love picture book biographies and other picture books with realistic pictures that tell a real story about something from history. These are the kind of books I watch for when I am looking at lists of books available to review. One of my recent finds was Franklin’s Trees. I read it to my little girls last night, and they enjoyed it, too.
Publisher’s description:
“All that is within me cries out to go back to my home on The Hudson River,” President Franklin Roosevelt once declared. For it was at his home in Hyde Park, New York that FDR could indulge in his favorite avocation—“tree farmer.” This book introduces children to FDR’s love of nature through a lifetime in which he oversaw the planting of over a million trees on his estate. It tells of a childhood hiking the trails through his forest, later widening those trails into roads after polio deprived him of the use of his legs and only able to get around by car. It describes the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, which came to be known as “Roosevelt’s Tree Army.” It also tells the story of how FDR sent England’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill a Norway spruce one Christmas to cheer up the English people. Today, FDR’s love of trees is remembered at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Historic Site in Hyde Park, New York, where many of the trees he planted still rise on the grounds and surrounding forest.
My thoughts:
Franklin Roosevelt is one of the better-known United States Presidents, but I don’t think I’ve ever found a picture book that mentioned him. We have a biography for young readers on our shelf, but no one has read it in a long time, so I doubt my girls had ever heard of this president. Franklin’s Trees is a wonderful way to discover this man who was able to accomplish so much even after losing the ability to walk. This book focuses on his love of trees, but mention is also made, briefly, of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II. At the end of the book are two pages for identifying four of FDR’s favorite trees. All the pictures are beautiful, clear paintings. This is a wonderful addition to a library of picture book biographies.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.
No warnings!
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 3 – 4, 5 – 8
Reading Independently—Ages 7 – 9, 8 – 12
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Kindle | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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