Tree

Nature's endless cycle is the subject of Russell's first book, a delicate study in watercolors that fully explicates the old chestnut about tiny acorns and mighty oaks. A squirrel leaves an acorn behind; in the spring it sprouts. Over time it grows into a tree and becomes a home to forest animals; when it is old a woodcutter chops it down, and while some of its logs become fuel for the fire, others are turned into toys. The book is hand-sized; fold-out pages amplify the tree's progress. Sparely lyrical, the book's strength lies in its brevity; many pictures offer mild hints of how much time is passing, subtly reinforcingin ways no words couldthe idea of a tree's growth as a stately, almost reverent process. Ages 3-6. (Apr.)