Because of an Acorn
Written by Lola M. Schaefer and Adam Schaefer
Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Chronicle Books  8/02/2016
978-1-4521-1242-8
36 pages    Ages 3—6

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Junior Library Guild Selection

“Because of an acorn
a tree grows,
a bird nests,
a seed becomes a flower.

“This enchanting book effortlessly illustrates the vital connections between the layers of an ecosystem. Wander down the forest path to learn how every tree, flower, plant, and anial is connected in spiraling circles of life.

“An acorn is just the beginning.” [INSIDE JACKET]

Review
An acorn becomes a tree, which holds a nest for a bird, and when the bird knocks down seeds from leaves, flowers appear, which produces fruit as food for many animals. One of those animals is a snake, which in turn becomes food for a hawk. Upon landing on a limb to eat his meal, the hawk may knock down an acorn. The acorn has one tree seed inside.
When not used as food, the seed can grow into a new tree in the forest. Ultimately, these trees form forests, which are very important to humans. Leaves absorbed carbon and releases oxygen, which humans need to breathe in order to live. Notes at the end of this short illustrative cycle explain the process in better detail.

The acorn resides in the forests of the Cumberland Plateau, west of the Appalachian Mountains. Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama are the states connected in the plateau. The oak is the white oak acorn and it is at the base of this ecosystem. Without the white oak acorn, the Cumberland Plateau would not exist.
The illustrations are gorgeous and tell the story of the mighty acorn in a manner perfect for the young children Because of an Acorn aims to reach: three to six-year-olds. This age group will not really care about the immaculately laid out notes the authors wrote—they are very informative, so please read them—about the acorn ecosystems, particularly the Cumberland Plateau. These kids will connect the acorn to life, while closely viewing the images and listening to the text, which is laid out smoothly and deliberately to reach this young group of children.

To save the forests and in particular, each individual tree, we need everyone’s help. Young children need awareness of this situation, so they can take on the troubling problems on the run. Because of an Acorn does its best to make these children understand so they will do the right thing when it becomes their turn to “save the world.” Beautiful and correctly laid out for these kids, Because of an Acorn so deserves to be a Library Guild Selection.
Included is a section on what we, yes us, who can read now, can do to help the forests at this moment. How nice it would be if Because of an Acorn is simply a pretty book and not an urgently needed one by the time today’s three-to-six-year-old young kids reach middle grade.

BECAUSE OF AN ACORN. Text copyright © 2016 by Lola M. Schaefer and Adam Schaefer. Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Frann Preston-Gannon. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Chronicle Books, New York, NY.

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Find Because of an Acorn on Goodreads HERE.

Reprinted with permission from BECAUSE OF AN ACORN © 2016 by Lola M. Schaefer and Adam Schaefer, Chronicle Books, Illustrations © 2016 by Frann Preston-Gannon.

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Copyright © 2016 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

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Because of an Acorn
Written by Lola M. Schaefer and Adam Schaefer
Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon
Chronicle Books 8/02/2016
9781452112428