The Tree of Time: A Story of a Special Sequoia

Spanning 2200 years, this book chronicles the renowned Yosemite sequoia whose massive trunk was hollowed out in 1881 to accommodate streams of tourist traffic. From its first life as an airborne seed to its growth into a colossal 23-story tree to its crashing collapse in 1969, the sequoia's development is measured in relation to important historical events--the device bears close resemblance to Linda Vieira's The Ever-Living Tree (Children's Forecasts, Jan. 31). For example, the tree is just a sprout when ``a brilliant general named Hannibal tried in vain to defeat the powerful Roman army.'' If Baron means to inspire awe for the tree's nearly incomprehensible lifespan, her hefty history outweighs her simply told tale of the tree. A stale selection of broad historical benchmarks (Mohammed and his nomadic followers, Michelangelo and the Renaissance) may not serve early and middle-elementary readers, who tend to prefer those fresh particulars of history that relate to their own lives. Although inset illustrations may heighten youthful curiosity, the book's ranging text misses the mark. Ages 5-up. (July)