Thank You, Old Oak
Britt Crow-Miller and Amy Schimler-Safford
Barefoot Books

Old Oak has flourished in the forest for more than 400 years but now it’s tired and one morning just as Owl has settled into his hole, down she crashes sending him skywards. Then all manner of forest creatures – squirrels, moths and butterflies,

rabbits, possum, deer and black bears gather to show appreciation for the food and shelter Oak has provided over the years. Indeed every branch in the forest is also crowded ‘with noisy nuthatches, blue jays, and thrushes, each crooning a call of gratitude, creating a symphony of crowing, whistling and lively trills.’ All these and more are shown in Amy Schimler-Safford’s mixed media textured illustrations.

Yes, that might be the end for her rooted life but in other ways it’s another beginning. Old Oak still has a key role bringing new life: trees growing nearby gain strength from her minerals, animals of various kinds feast on her trunk and come the spring rains, her softened logs help young mosses and ferns to grow (nurse logs, they’re called, so the information after the story tells us).

It’s wonderful to see a whole new generation of oak seedlings (Old Oak’s legacy), planted by forest animals starting to grow as sunlight fills the earth that Old Oak once shaded.

A moving story that also contains a considerable amount of information about oak trees. Well worth getting for family bookshelves and primary class collections.