Just One Oak: What a Single Tree Can Be by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Diane Sudyka (Beach Lane Books, 48 pages, ages 4-9). What can one oak be? A home for all kinds of animals in all seasons, from its roots to its leaves. A provider of nutritious food, with the millions of acorns it produces over its life time. A climate regulator, slowing winds in the winter and giving shade in the summer. A single oak tree “is beautiful and bountiful to all.” Includes additional information and resources, ways to help oak trees, and an illustration of the oak’s life cycle.

The main narrative of this beautifully illustrated book tells the many amazing things an oak tree provides, while the smaller blocks of text give additional details. The information is fascinating, and this would make a great book for Earth Day as well as for any environmental educational program wanting to highlight the impact of a single tree on many areas of the ecosystem.

When the Sun Goes Down by Greg Pizzoli (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 2-5). “Where do you go when the sun goes down?” This question is posed to creatures who live outside (a butterfly, an ant, and a bird), to a couple of indoor pets (fish and cat), and finally, to a child getting ready for bed. Does she go under a leaf like a butterfly? In the dirt like an ant? Curled up in a chair like a cat? No! She goes to bed, to sleep safe and sound. Good night.

Greg Pizzoli keeps cranking out fun and entertaining books for the youngest readers that they’ll be able to read along with sooner rather than later–a deceptively simple art form! This time he’s created a lovely bedtime story that slowly moves from the outside world to the inside, and finally into bed. You can pair it up with another Greg Pizzoli bedtime story, Good Night Owl. Both have nice touches of humor to make an easy transition to sleep.