Aspen's Roots

Aspen's Roots is one of those books that is a "must have" for your collection of favorite books you read to your children and grandchildren over and over. This poem transcends generations and has a poignant message for young and old. It is one of those books whose message is timeless and which emphasizes the importance of legacy. Its message is shown through the growth of a little aspen tree growing in a quiet grove of aspens over the seasons of a year. Like all aspens, this tree is connected to a common root system established over many generations. There, the strength, love, and commitment of one generation forms an undergirding foundation for those generations to follow. The artwork in Aspen's Roots is exquisite, enough so that this book would be perfect as a coffee-table book as well as a story to be read. Nature's unique beauty and tranquility is portrayed in delicate detail through the beautiful images on each page. Flipping through the pages, one has the feeling that he has entered a hidden and secret world that no man has disturbed. Aspen's Roots would be a perfect gift also to show appreciation to any of the folks in the previous generations who have had an impact on your life . . . great for a birthday, Mother's Day or Father's Day, Christmas, or Valentines Day with a special note attached.

Poetic story that is beautiful

As a mother who buys children's books often, I really appreciate the quality and message that this book offers. The story (more of a poem) teaches to think outside of ourselves, find/see connections that add value and support to our lives, identify with our heritage. But outside of the gentle lessons (which will teach at different levels), the art is exciting. My boys loved finding the hidden (or obvious) forest animals, carved hearts on the tree trunks, and following the little Aspen through the various seasons. It's a pretty book, feels substantial and would make a perfect gift. (We especially love the fill-in-the-blank family "tree" at the end. A fun surprise!)

I've been reading to young children for many years. I purchased Aspen's Roots to read to my sister's young grandchildren when I visited them last summer. This is a beautifully illustrated and softly written story, but the 'part of a family tree' message was too subtle for even the 5-year-old. Best suited to older elementary school children and adults.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book that I think could be an inspiration to many a child who is growing up and wondering how they are connected to those around them. It's simple yet poignant. I love the use of nature (particularly the aspen) to bring this point across.

Reading this book with my grandchildren provided a wonderful opportunity to talk about the long line of ancestors who came before them and about those yet to come. Beautiful artwork easily held their attention as they searched the pages for little aspen in the various seasons of her life.

Such a beautiful book and story. This is art at it's finest!

Paul Sullivan's story of a young aspen's growth likens an aspen clone, a group of aspen trees supported by a common root system, to an extended human family. Pamela Gillette's attractive double-page paintings show changing seasons in the aspen grove and thoughtfully enhance and complement Sullivan's rhyming text.The artist's paintings of white-barked aspen trees against a light blue sky make a very pretty book. Her images of aspen's extensive underground roots, as well as inhabitants of the aspen grove such as fawns, butterflies, white-coated hare, chipmunks, ants and lady bugs add to story understanding and appeal.As the story year progresses, aspen sapling's green leaves yellow and her branches bare; she becomes sad. She reaches deep inside, dreams, speaks her thoughts, and finally realizes that she is part of group of trees that share a common subsurface root system. She mentions aunts, grandmothers, cousins, as the story transitions to looking at the reader's figurative roots. "Discover Your Roots," pictures roots with labels ranging from maternal `grandma' to paternal `great grandpa.` This visual picture of a person's ancestors gives readers a way to look back beyond grandma. It gives them a chance to fill in the names, and perhaps histories and images, of their own ancestors.It should be noted that the artists' unusually careful attention to format, from book jacket, to end papers, to the appropriate addition of a single aspen leaf on certain pages, speaks to those who enjoy good book design.