This is a wonderful concept for a book – to look at time through the eyes (or branches!) of an oak tree, from its initial stage as acorn through to its veteran stage (when it is old but still full of life). The tree patiently and quietly watches as the landscape changes through the ages – surviving despite mankind’s infringements on the surrounding countryside. Settlements, then towns, then cities grow beneath the hill on which the oak stands, and the sea in the distance at first is empty, then becomes a home for ships throughout the ages. Children invariably find the oak a place of play – perhaps showing how children always appreciate trees rather than chop them down to be used in building or similar.
The story is told through rhyme, and Charlotte Guillain does this with skill. The result is informative but still beautifully lyrical – one beat off iambic pentameter! – which gives it a familiar and classical feel. Sam Usher’s illustrations detailed, fluid, at times fun and full of movement – a blend of dreamy watercolour and definitive ink.
I loved this book for its devotion to trees – which give us so much and ask for nothing in return, apart from respect. We seem to be failing in this, although this message is never specficially stated: instead we see in the illustrations the carelessness of humankind – litter strewn about concrete and other forms of development encroaching on the tree’s ground. Our wise oak doesn’t criticise – it just observes, but we are left to think about our activities. The colours become greyer and more muted as time passes by – gone are the summery pastels that predominate when the oak was young, to be replaces by a more monochromatic palette the more industrialised we become.
The book ends with an interesting timeline of what this oak might have seen during its lifetime – 1000CE – 2020CE – including various world wars, natural disasters and pandemics. We also see the different life stages of an oak tree and learn that it can reproduce for at least 800 years! At last, we see how we can learn more about our own area and how it has changed over time, as well as how we can be a friend to the trees. A book like this will definitely help with the latter – it is hard to come away from this not wanting to champion trees as much as possible.
