This small but information-filled book starts out with a table of contents, as do each of the books in the “Rookie Read-About Science” books. This helps to introduce young readers to format of informational nonfiction books. The book thoroughly and systematically demonstrates the process of an acorn spreading roots to become an oak tree, with provided pictures that document each step of the growth. New vocabulary words, such as “shoot” and “sapling” are highlighted in the text, labeled in the illustrations, and defined in the supplemental material later in the book. In addition to describing and showing how an acorn becomes an oak tree, the book describes and illustrates what a growing oak tree does and looks like in each season. Included in the supplemental material in the back is an extension of the subject material, describing different varieties of oak trees. Pictures are included to show what these trees look like, as well as their acorns, each unique to their own tree. This guides readers to build on the content just given to them in the book. The author’s biography also relates to the subject material; it says that she “spent her summers reading books and seeking shade under the tall oak trees in her grandparents’ yard, ” thus connecting content of the book to real life and providing students with an opportunity and a charge to keep reading. Part of the “Rookie Read-About Science” series. Reviewer: Laura Dekle; Ages 3 to 6.
