Big Tree

February 1, 2023
A broad history of our planet overlaid on a seed's experience of time and change. Spun out to doorstopper dimensions by the overly liberal use of single lines of narrative on otherwise blank pages, Selznick's latest fulsomely illustrated tale twines storylines large-scaled and small-, literal and metaphorical, immediate and spanning billions of years. In a Cretaceous forest, the desperate efforts of sycamore seed Merwin to protect his visionary little sibling Louise make for adventures aplenty involving fire, winds, dinosaurs, and even a volcanic eruption--with occasional breaks for flashbacks or philosophical dialogues with their loving Mama, a decomposing leaf, and the Earth itself. He eventually fails, as the two are swept off in different directions. They reunite many years later to grow up side by side, branches intertwined, after which the author fast-forwards to the present and a seedling's rescue from a city sidewalk crack by a little Black girl. Most of the illustrations come in wordless, full-page sequential bursts, and if their ultra-soft focus isn't particularly suitable for capturing more violent events, the lyrical, dramatic, and comical ones glow with vivid, cinematic intensity. In a lengthy afterword the author provides nature notes as well as describing the story's origins as a movie concept from Steven Spielberg (whose tendency toward sentimentality is all over this), closing with a bibliography that includes, appropriately, The Carrot Seed and A Tree Is Nice. Patchy and sentimental but central to our past, present, and future; at once grand and intimate. (Illustrated fantasy. 8-12)

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Starred review from February 20, 2023
Caldecott Medalist Selznick opens this sweeping illustrated novel in a Cretaceous forest as two sycamore seeds, drawn as diminutive figures with shocks of delicate fuzz, search for a place to take root after a forest fire’s fallout propels them away from home. Louise, trusting and intuitive, often hears words from sources that can’t be seen (“The voice I’ve been hearing, the dreams, the Old One... It’s telling me there’s danger”). Protective, anxious Merwin brushes his sister’s insights aside (“We already know there’s danger! There’s danger everywhere!”), intent on finding a safe place to exist. Journeying through a lush, verdant world on the precipice of catastrophe, the two encounter varied outlooks via a host of beings who form Earth’s web of life: self-important King Seaweed, tiny Scientists who record the data of countless generations, a Ghost Leaf who helps other plants grow. Silvery, deeply textural drawings move elegantly between planet-scale drama, microscopic life, and Louise and Merwin’s shifting surroundings as the pace bounds inexorably onward, ending in a contemporary city where a Black child encounters a sidewalk-crack seedling. In evocative prose and peppery dialogue that sometimes get caught up in their message, the cinematic story journeys across time and space, contemplating the power of life to heal and the importance of developing “roots and wings.” Back matter details the science behind the story. Ages 7–up.

Starred review from April 1, 2023

Gr 2-8-Selznick returns with a majestically illustrated, modern-day parable. Sycamore seeds Louise and Merwin are suddenly separated from their mama tree due to a conflagration. They are thrust into a dangerous world of dinosaurs and volcanoes, hoping to set down roots somewhere safe. Throughout their treacherous journey, the stars speak to Louise, hinting at a possible life-changing event on the horizon. Along the way, they meet The Ambassadors (mycorrhizal fungi), Spot (a butterfly), King Seaweed, and The Scientists (Foraminifera). Originally meant for a Spielberg-produced animated film, this tale, with its combination of a childlike narrative and profound illustrations, presents a big, universal story of taking care of the miraculous Earth on which we live. Selznick's signature art was created with pencil on hot pressed watercolor paper, and the texture and nuance of these nearly 300 pages will strike wonder in every reader. In the back matter, Selznick explains the science behind the story, including dinosaurs, asteroids, and the beginning of life on Earth. It also features a selected bibliography and a poem by W.S. Merwin, the seed's namesake. Weighty themes of connectedness, conservation, and the impact that one small voice can have on the fate of the universe might feel unfathomable and too big for children, but in Selznick's hands, this poignant fable will resonate with all readers, young and old. VERDICT A special, one-of-a-kind book for the whole family that readers won't soon forget-Shelley M. Diaz

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2023
Selznick elegantly intertwines pictures and words to tell the macro story of the natural world through the micro perspective of two sycamore seeds. Louise and Merwin are siblings who occupy the same seed ball but possess two distinct personalities. Louise is a starry-eyed dreamer, while Merwin is a pragmatist. When a stampede of dinosaurs forces the siblings' benevolent tree mother to disperse her seeds before they are trampled, a multi-millennial saga begins. Plant and plant-adjacent organisms are personified, often possessing personalities reflective of their roles in nature -- for example, mushrooms serve as communicative "Ambassadors" in the book the way actual mycorrhizal fungi connect forest root systems. Louise and Merwin encounter a range of ancient flora and fauna as they themselves work to "put down roots." A massive time jump to the present day, along with a stunning portrayal of the planet's formation (from Earth's perspective), reveals the true meaning of Louise and Merwin's journey: that life is a gift, fragile and in need of care and protection. Selznick's control of narrative, pacing, and book design is idiosyncratic and masterful. Fluid shifts between prose and double-page spreads of accomplished pencil illustrations are clear and effective, ranging from entire chapters in prose to passages alternating between text and image with every page-turn to sustained sequences of images. The afterword includes annotated notes on the real science found throughout, a selected biography, and backstory on the book's origin (it was originally conceived as a screenplay for a Spielberg film). Ambitious and poignant while still, ultimately, hopeful. Patrick Gall

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from January 1, 2023
Grades 3-7 *Starred Review* Two sycamore-seed siblings, Merwin and Louise, nestle in their seed ball, waiting for the time that their dear mother tree has prepared them for, when they'll float free and set down roots of their own. Louise is eager to explore, and she's certain she's heard whispers from afar that the world needs her help, though exactly how is unclear. Their comfortable Cretaceous existence is upended when a vast fungal network brings news of impending danger and a run-in with a dinosaur sends the seeds flying much earlier than anticipated. They know it's imperative to find the perfect place to land--too little or too much of anything could prove disastrous. But to fulfill their destiny, they'll have to navigate a wide world filled with wonder and uncertainty. Initially conceived as a film idea that Steven Spielberg hoped Selznick would spin into a screenplay, the astonishing story is at once vast and intimate, succeeding as both a small-scale adventure story and a broader exploration of the natural world. Glorious pencil drawings, moving swiftly from macro to micro lenses, turn wispy seeds into spritely, darling protagonists, and wordless sketched reveals that follow text interludes are sure to elicit gasps of surprise and delight. Detailed endnotes explain the incredible science inspiring much of the story. An enthralling and expansive meditation on what it means to be alive on this planet.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2023
Selznick elegantly intertwines pictures and words to tell the macro story of the natural world through the micro perspective of two sycamore seeds. Louise and Merwin are siblings who occupy the same seed ball but possess two distinct personalities. Louise is a starry-eyed dreamer, while Merwin is a pragmatist. When a stampede of dinosaurs forces the siblings' benevolent tree mother to disperse her seeds before they are trampled, a multi-millennial saga begins. Plant and plant-adjacent organisms are personified, often possessing personalities reflective of their roles in nature -- for example, mushrooms serve as communicative "Ambassadors" in the book the way actual mycorrhizal fungi connect forest root systems. Louise and Merwin encounter a range of ancient flora and fauna as they themselves work to "put down roots." A massive time jump to the present day, along with a stunning portrayal of the planet's formation (from Earth's perspective), reveals the true meaning of Louise and Merwin's journey: that life is a gift, fragile and in need of care and protection. Selznick's control of narrative, pacing, and book design is idiosyncratic and masterful. Fluid shifts between prose and double-page spreads of accomplished pencil illustrations are clear and effective, ranging from entire chapters in prose to passages alternating between text and image with every page-turn to sustained sequences of images. The afterword includes annotated notes on the real science found throughout, a selected biography, and backstory on the book's origin (it was originally conceived as a screenplay for a Spielberg film). Ambitious and poignant while still, ultimately, hopeful.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)