Mary's Tree

Adиle Ashby, a library consultant, is the former editor of Canadian Materials for Schools and Libraries.

Mary and her father are having a disagreement about the old apple tree
in the yard. He wants to turn it into firewood. She wants to preserve
it. He challenges her to come up with 10 reasons for doing so, and she
does: the family enjoys the blossoms; the bees use them to make honey; a
swing brings pleasure to the neighborhood children; her little brother
uses the roots as a setting for his imaginative play; in autumn, the
fruit can be picked; it is impossible to resist the temptation to jump
in the piles of leaves. At school, Mary learns about and adds other
reasons for preservation—such as the importance of trees in soil
conservation. By the onset of winter, she has her 10 reasons and her
tree.

Yet another book with an ecological message. While it is a worthwhile
one, it is marred by mediocre delivery. Neither the text nor the
illustrations rise above the commonplace.