{"id":4580,"date":"2018-03-11T00:01:26","date_gmt":"2018-03-11T06:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=4580"},"modified":"2018-03-10T19:31:09","modified_gmt":"2018-03-11T01:31:09","slug":"7-imps-7-kicks-577-featuring-charlotte-voake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=4580","title":{"rendered":"7-Imp\u2019s 7 Kicks #577: Featuring Charlotte Voake"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n
 

\nI may have said this a thousand times before here at 7-Imp, but I love the work of illustrator Charlotte Voake<\/a><\/strong>. <\/p>\n

Her newest picture book is Chris Butterworth’s The Things That I Love About Trees<\/a><\/em><\/strong> (Candlewick, February 2018). Here, Butterworth pays tribute to trees through the seasons, beginning with Spring. We see a young girl leave her home (I love that it’s an apartment complex — she may not have her own<\/em> yard, but one can always seek out trees) and head out with her cat \u2014 or at least a neighborhood cat \u2014 to explore. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

As with several books that Voake has illustrated (such as this one<\/a><\/strong>), the larger text on each spread carries more of the narrative, and the smaller text provides informational facts. (I love that the book has a small index on the final spread that says: “Look up the pages to find out all about these tree things. Don’t forget to look at both kinds of words \u2014 this kind<\/font> and this kind<\/font>.”
\n
 

\n<\/a>
\n

“The flower buds on this plum tree are opening into blossoms,
which are buzzing with bees . . .”<\/em>
(Click to enlarge spread)<\/center>
\n
 

\nWe read about trees and their blossoms (flowers and<\/em> fruits); tree seeds; how they grow; what lives in them; how they change throughout the year; how they move; and how beautiful they are! All of this is from a child’s point of view \u2014 observant and wondrous, never cloying. Voake’s ink and watercolor illustrations are eloquent, as always. This child-friendly story is just right for budding naturalists.
\n
 

\n<\/a>
\n
“Summer trees are shady and so full of leaves that when the wind blows,
they swish like the sea.”<\/em>
(Click to enlarge spread)<\/center>
\n
 

\n
\n
 

\nTHE THINGS THAT I LOVE ABOUT TREES. Text copyright \u00a9 2018 by Chris Butterworth. Illustrations copyright \u00a9 2018 by Charlotte Voake. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA on behalf of Walker Books, London.<\/em><\/p>\n

Note for any new readers: 7-Imp\u2019s 7 Kicks is a weekly meeting ground for taking some time to reflect on Seven(ish) Exceptionally Fabulous, Beautiful, Interesting, Hilarious, or Otherwise Positive Noteworthy Things from the past week, whether book-related or not, that happened to you. New kickers are always welcome.<\/p>\n

* * * Jules’ Kicks * * *<\/strong><\/font>
<\/center><\/p>\n

1)<\/strong><\/font> My oldest daughter turns 14 tomorrow! I love her sharp mind, her gentle soul, and her appreciation of morbid humor. <\/p>\n

2)<\/strong><\/font> I was floored when I saw that Sam Beam<\/a><\/strong> (a.k.a. Iron & Wine) recorded a cover<\/a><\/strong>, embedded below, of one of my favorite (and little-known) songs on the planet. Love those lyrics. Love them so much. So glad that covering it gives a shout-out to the band who wrote it (The Innocence Mission<\/a><\/strong>), a favorite of mine.
\n
 

\n