Red Knit Cap Girl and the Reading Tree
Written and illustrated by Naoko Stoop
Verdict:
A sweet, inspiring picture book that celebrates nature, community, and the many ways books can bring us together.
What is it about?
What is nature for? Reading, of course! This storybook shows us what a group of friends do when they find a hollow tree, one that is just the right size for holding books. Each friend brings a book for the collection. Those that have no books find other ways to help make the space better for everyone. Coziness ensues, with books gathered to read in the sunshine and by moonlight, under cozy wool blankets when it gets chilly, books to share, and books to read aloud.
Our take:
This is an excellent read-aloud book that shows how reading can be the beginning of many forms of connection, community, and knowledge. The volume itself is beautifully rendered in acrylic, ink, and pencil on plywood, so that we can see the wood grain, adding to the nature themes of the book. The story is short enough to read in one sitting, with plenty of animal characters offering variety and interest. The hero is proactive and adventurous, encouraging children to take the matter of creating welcoming spaces of learning and community into their own hands.
Perfect fit for:
This is a book for children from the ages of about two to six, though adults will find plenty of charm and encouragement in this volume as well. How would you use a hollow tree? What would you fill it with? The story frees our imaginations to think about reading everywhere, about sharing books with friends, and about making reading cozy, and about the importance of libraries.
This is an ideal book both for quiet times, and for inspiration to build and share ideas. It’s the sort of message-driven book that works without ever feeling didactic.
Conversation Starters
Where can you get books to read? This is an opportunity to talk about libraries, both in schools and homes, as well as other sources of knowledge.
How many books would you like to have around you to read and look at? (Talk about books being accessible.)
What would you put in a big, hollow tree?
With which people do you like to read books?
What makes reading cozy – in the spring, in the summer, in the fall, and in the winter?
What books would you like to collect?
STORYVOR uses affiliate links. When you make a purchase through our buy links, you directly support our mission to spread literacy at no extra cost to you, and help keep free teaching and book resources available to parents and educators around the world.
