msgabbythelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
It is books like this that remind me of the humanity that still exists in the world. It is books like this that do inspire hope and resilience. It is books like this that do shine a light on dark events and how they touch lives....but often the good will overwhelm the bad.
I was five when Oklahoma City happened. So I guess I have lived through two terrorist attacks on American soil (what a comforting thought....). However, I knew very little about it and the Survivor Tree. My first foray was in a Karen Kingsbury fiction tale and now, this book for younger audiences.
The color palate of stark white and black and bits of green (with other little bits of color mixed....it's striking. It's thought provoking. Sometimes books with the strongest message do not need all the accoutrements.
I was five when Oklahoma City happened. So I guess I have lived through two terrorist attacks on American soil (what a comforting thought....). However, I knew very little about it and the Survivor Tree. My first foray was in a Karen Kingsbury fiction tale and now, this book for younger audiences.
The color palate of stark white and black and bits of green (with other little bits of color mixed....it's striking. It's thought provoking. Sometimes books with the strongest message do not need all the accoutrements.
panda_incognito's review against another edition
3.0
This nonfiction picture book tells the story of how people affected by the Oklahoma City bombing have dealt with their trauma and extended compassion to those harmed by subsequent terrorist attacks. This book also tells the story of the tree that survived the blast, showing how people traumatized by other attacks have received saplings from this tree as a symbol of hope. This approach to the story honors the way that humans attempt to make meaning out of suffering by extending kindness towards others, but it is only a three-star book for me because of two major issues.
Firstly, it provides almost no information about the bombing itself. Someone who was an adult at the time might not think that this is necessary, but most people born after the event don't even know about it, and children reading this now are twenty-five years distanced from this event. Even though the author wanted to focus on the aftermath, the book ought to provide more information and context about what actually happened. Even the author's and illustrator's notes are scarce on detail.
Secondly, I'm not sure what age group this is aimed towards. Because it deals with a terrorist attack, mass deaths, and the resulting trauma, it's not the kind of story you want to read aloud to your five-year-old, but because it doesn't provide detailed information about the attack, address the terrorist's motives, or explain exactly what happened that day, it doesn't work as an educational resource for older children. It really is just a book about "help and healing," but the inspiring story would have more impact if it was directed to a more targeted audience and provided context for children who have never even heard of the Oklahoma City bombing before.
Firstly, it provides almost no information about the bombing itself. Someone who was an adult at the time might not think that this is necessary, but most people born after the event don't even know about it, and children reading this now are twenty-five years distanced from this event. Even though the author wanted to focus on the aftermath, the book ought to provide more information and context about what actually happened. Even the author's and illustrator's notes are scarce on detail.
Secondly, I'm not sure what age group this is aimed towards. Because it deals with a terrorist attack, mass deaths, and the resulting trauma, it's not the kind of story you want to read aloud to your five-year-old, but because it doesn't provide detailed information about the attack, address the terrorist's motives, or explain exactly what happened that day, it doesn't work as an educational resource for older children. It really is just a book about "help and healing," but the inspiring story would have more impact if it was directed to a more targeted audience and provided context for children who have never even heard of the Oklahoma City bombing before.
bargainandbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I was 9 years old when the Oklahoma bombing happened. I can still feel the understanding for the first time in my life that true evil existed. This was the first awful event I can recall. I can still remember the empty feeling in my stomach and the pain in my heart. That realization changes us all, this was mine.
This book is a beautiful tribute to an awful day in America’s history. The bombing did not discriminate. Children as well as adults were lost. Families were broken. Lovers were left mourning. I loved how during the embers of this tragedy Hope was found. The survivors tree... was something I was unaware of. The idea of the saplings of this tree standing charred at the site of this horrendous tragedy growing and bringing life and hope is such a beaut like idea.
The images are simple. Beautiful. Haunting. They fit so well with the heavy story they help weave.
While I read this Garth Brooks-The Change played in my brain and I was moved to tears again.
This book is a beautiful tribute to an awful day in America’s history. The bombing did not discriminate. Children as well as adults were lost. Families were broken. Lovers were left mourning. I loved how during the embers of this tragedy Hope was found. The survivors tree... was something I was unaware of. The idea of the saplings of this tree standing charred at the site of this horrendous tragedy growing and bringing life and hope is such a beaut like idea.
The images are simple. Beautiful. Haunting. They fit so well with the heavy story they help weave.
While I read this Garth Brooks-The Change played in my brain and I was moved to tears again.
wordnerd153's review against another edition
3.0
I think this book is needed, since I’d bet almost no kids know about the bombing. However, I felt the text was too long in many spots and I found my attention drifting, which makes me think young readers might struggle.
maidmarianlib's review against another edition
3.0
Honest about the sadness but full of hope the illustrations balance the text.
mcwinningkoff's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
4.0
etienne02's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful book, but in art and subject. This one talk about surviving a tragedy and keep on living after. Deep, emotional and I believe a book that truly can be helpful. Good job!
bethmitcham's review
4.0
This is a book about the Oklahoma City Bombing and the museum built to commemorate that event, but more it's a book about what happens to people affected by tragedies like that. The illustrations are carefully designed from colors to shapes to depictions to reflect the tone of the words, which describe the emotions of the people affected and the process of dealing with trauma. The metaphor of the seedlings grown from a tree at the bomb site help show how growth continues but at its own pace, sometimes slow. It's a quiet, meditative, often unbearably sad book.
tashrow's review
5.0
This nonfiction picture book takes the tremendous tragedy of April 19, 1995 and leads readers to hope and a way forward. It looks deeply at the loss of life, at how so many people were lost and so many more were impacted by the deaths. It looks at the many broken bones and also the broken minds that resulted from the bombing too. The book then moves to after the bombing and the one tree that remained standing nearby. That American elm tree was battered and scorched by the blast, yet it remained upright. It survived and became a beacon of hope for those who were impacted by the bombing. In spring, someone collected its seeds which then became part of the annual memorial service for the victims. As new tragedies happen, and they did and will in the future, those seeds and seedlings from Oklahoma City start the healing process and show that survival is possible and hope can return.
Barton’s words ache on the page. They are impossible to read without a deep feeling of mourning and loss, without recognizing what happened and what will continue to happen. The weaving of the story of the elm tree into the book is masterfully done, offering a glimpse of green and a path to the future. Barton writes with such empathy here. He allows the story to be told in all of its anguish and pain, and yet makes sure that hope has its place there as well.
The art by Xu is extraordinary. She uses the roots of the tree to intertwine with and embrace those in mourning, to show how interconnected we all are to one another. Done in ink and digitally, the art is a strong mixture of ethereal colors and grounding tree roots, people and spaces.
A powerful and evocative book about tragedy that celebrates life. Appropriate for ages 8-12.
Barton’s words ache on the page. They are impossible to read without a deep feeling of mourning and loss, without recognizing what happened and what will continue to happen. The weaving of the story of the elm tree into the book is masterfully done, offering a glimpse of green and a path to the future. Barton writes with such empathy here. He allows the story to be told in all of its anguish and pain, and yet makes sure that hope has its place there as well.
The art by Xu is extraordinary. She uses the roots of the tree to intertwine with and embrace those in mourning, to show how interconnected we all are to one another. Done in ink and digitally, the art is a strong mixture of ethereal colors and grounding tree roots, people and spaces.
A powerful and evocative book about tragedy that celebrates life. Appropriate for ages 8-12.
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