Story Time - Tap the Magic Tree

“Story Time” will be a recurring feature on Mommy Nature, introducing children’s books with a nature theme.  Watch for them to help expand your child’s library.

Story Time – Tap the Magic Tree, written by Christie Matheson

If your child is like mine, he or she is noticing leaves dropping from the trees.  Even though it is a little early here in Florida for most trees to drop their leaves, we are seeing some lose their leaves due to the beginning of dry season.  My daughter currently thinks fallen leaves are fun, since they go “crunch” when she jumps in them.  But in a couple of months, she’ll start to see barren trees with no leaves.  This might be upsetting for my little tree hugger, if she didn’t know what was happening.  Luckily, we added Tap the Magic Tree to her bookshelf a few months ago, so she knows all about the seasonal changes of deciduous trees. 

This book says it is for ages 4 to 8; however, my 2 ½ year old daughter loves it!  It’s a wonderfully simple and interactive book about the changes deciduous trees go through during each season.  It’s not very wordy, and each page has the child participate with tapping, clapping, rubbing, counting, etc., to help the tree through its changes.  The tasks are easy enough; my preschooler can do every interactive instruction in the book.  It also teaches children to be gentle with trees and have patience waiting for the leaves to come back in the spring.  More importantly, it’s really a fun book to read!  My daughter wants me to read it over and over again to her, and I don’t mind!  It’s a pleasure to watch her work so vigorously while following the instructions to make sure the tree changes as it should. 

It’s easy to add an art project to go along with the book by drawing or coloring a basic tree (without leaves).  Then, using yellow, red, orange, and green construction paper, cut out simple leaves that your child can paste onto the tree.  You can also cut out flowers, apples, and a bird’s nest for the tree.  The illustrations in the book are simple and easy to use as models for this art project.  Enjoy!

Please let me know if you’ve come across a gem of a story for children about nature.  You’re welcome to tell me a little about the book and why you like it.  Books are always a favorite for young children; and I, like many of you, am always looking for the perfect addition for my daughter’s bookshelf.