We Are Branches by Joyce Sidman

We take branches for granted, but have you ever considered what a wise design they are, with so many applications in nature? We Are Branches reminds us of a few.

We Are Branches by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Beth Krommes. HarperCollins, 2023. 40 pages.

• Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8
• Recommended For: Ages 4-8

Trees have branches. Rivers have branches.

Have you ever thought about what else in creation utilizes this wise means of distribution from the center to a larger area? I don’t want to spoil it for you, but what about butterfly wings, dry deserts, and snowflakes? Anything else come to mind?

We Are Branches is another of those really beautiful books that is simple for children to understand, yet profound enough for adults to admire. The scratchboard illustrations fill each page and emphasize the significance of branches and veins throughout nature.

The author and illustrator are a talented pair, and the results are a delight.

Overall Rating: 4

• Literary/Artistic Rating: 4
• Worldview Rating: 4

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Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Review: Joyce Sidman won a Sibert award for The Girl Who Drew Butterflies. We think it’s a lovely book.
• Resource: Here’s a really lovely picture book about a Jumping Spider to help you appreciate the ordinary things around us in nature.
• Book Review: Oh look, another picture book by Joyce Sidman! Also poetic, also related to trees. Red Sings from the Treetops was illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski.

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