Picture a Tree by Barbara Reid (Grades PreK-2)

Reid, Barbara. (2013). Picture a tree. Park Ridge, IL: Albert Whitman & Company.
USBBY Outstanding International Book 2014

From the publisher: "Picture a tree -- what do YOU see? Picture a tree, from every season, and from every angle. These wonderous beings give shade and shelter. Now look again. Look closer. The possibilities are endless.  In this gorgeous new picture book, Barbara Reid brings her vision, her craft, and her signature Plasticine artwork to the subject of trees. Each page is a celebration, and you will never look at trees in quite the same way again."

Picture a Tree attracted me because of its nature-friendly topic and unusual illustrations.  When I taught Pre-K, my students and I undertook an entire learning unit on trees, and I wish this book had existed back then -- I love the way it encourages children to view trees from different perspectives and appreciate their varied functions and beauty.

Considering this work as an Outstanding International Book, however, leads me to ask the following questions:

• The author's Canadian nationality aside, what makes Picture a Tree an international book?

• Should books chosen for the USBBY OIB list teach us something about a different country/culture, or should their themes and subject matter be universal?

• When choosing an international book for a U.S.-based list, why go to Canada?