One Day This Tree Will Fall by Leslie Bernard Booth, illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 40 pages, grades K-4). “Wounded, worn, twisted, torn. One day this tree will fall and this story will end. Won’t it?” To learn the answer to this question posed on page 1, the narrative goes back to the beginning when a seed survives its journey to become a seedling. Its story could have ended before it began, and it could have also been ended by wind, ice, drought, and fire. But the tree survives, becoming a home to many creatures. Eventually, the tree does fall, but even when it’s lying on the forest floor, it provides food and homes to animals. Finally, it becomes part of the soil that supports a new tree seed. Includes additional information about trees and the interactions between trees and people, as well as a glossary and selected sources.

This Book Is Full of Holes: From Underground to Outer Space and Everywhere In Between by Nora Nickum, illustrated by Robert Meganck (Peachtree, 40 pages, grades 1-4). Maybe you haven’t thought a lot about holes, but you’ll start to notice them after reading this book. Whether tiny (a bleed hole in an airplane window) or enormous (the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah), forming slowly (potholes) or quickly (sinkholes), mysterious (a wormhole) or annoyingly familiar (a hole in your sock), holes generally have interesting stories, many of which are told here. The last few pages cover English idioms that use the word hole (loophole, pigeonhole, a square peg in a round hole) and describe one last hole that’s not really a hole–a black hole. Includes a list for further reading.

Here are two STEM related titles for elementary readers to enjoy. This Book Is Full of Holes has a more unique premise, but I think I’d be less likely to use it as a read-aloud than the beautifully illustrated One Day This Tree Will Fall, which tells a fascinating story in a way that’s simple enough for kindergarteners and first graders to understand. This Book Is Full of Holes is a bit text-heavier and may lend itself better to reading on one’s own.