A Year Around the Great Oak

Quick Look

This edition is out of print, but a beautiful new edition is available. Please click on the cover in the carousel below.

• Celebrate the seasons with this beautiful new book from Gerda Muller.
• Soft, detailed illustrations depict wildlife in the forest through the changing seasons
• Children will love to spot the wildlife in the forest!

Anna and Benjamin discover the secrets of the forest and its animals, set around a 300-year-old oak tree. A beautiful seasonal story.

Description

Benjamin and Anna love staying with their cousin Robin in his house near the forest. In the autumn, Robin takes them to see his favourite tree -- a giant oak that is 300 years old. The children build a den under the oak tree's giant branches and watch the squirrels hide acorns in its wide trunk.

In the winter they ski through the forest and meet the foresters who chose which trees will become firewood this year -- but not their beautiful oak tree!

In the spring the children go searching for badgers and see many animals that live in the forest -- nesting birds, gentle deer and shy rabbits. One night, the tree helps Benjamin when he discovers a creature he didn't expect. How can the children say thank you?

A beautifully detailed, seasonal story from Gerda Muller, who gave us the beloved Seasons board books and Where Do They Go When it Rains? Children will love to spot the realistic animals and birds that live in the great oak's forest.

Reviews

'If there is a nature-lover out there, this is the perfect book for them... All the pages are filled with beautiful illustrations of plants and animals that live in the forest throughout the different seasons.'
-- Youth Services Book Review, 5 Stars

'Realistic, delicate paintings use pattern, light and soft colors to track nature's transformation of the old oak tree during a single year in an innocent style reminiscent of Barbara Cooney. Simplified natural details of individual plants, birds and animals invite close inspection, while holistic scenes of the oak evoke an idyllic seasonal atmosphere. A charming celebration of the changing seasons.'
-- Kirkus Review

'By the creator of Where Do They Go When It Rains, this is an exquisite work of art with a timeless quality ... This is a must for all libraries and schools.'
-- Carousel

'Unpredictable, stimulating and ultimately confidence-inducing ... Gerda Muller, whose work may be familiar from her other nature-imbued children's books ('Goldilocks and the Three Bears', 'Where Do They Go When It Rains?'), draws each activity and animal with great detail and attention. Leaf shapes are accurate, and the picture of the children making their hideout from sticks and leaves is as good as a scouting manual; for readers with access to woods this could prove to be a useful as well as a handsome book.'
-- The New York Times.com

'A must for every child's library and for any teacher looking for fictional works to support environmental education in the early years.'
-- UK National Association for Environmental Education

'With gorgeous illustrations and an engaging story, Gerda Muller takes us into a forest where we get to be a part of Great Oak's magical world for a little while. Young readers will appreciate the simple adventures that the children have in autumn, winter, spring and summer when they visit the tree.'
-- Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

Author

Gerda Muller is a Floris Books featured author. Read all about this author's life and work on our dedicated author page.

Gerda Muller was born in 1926 in Naarden, Holland. She attended the Fine Arts School of Amsterdam and Ecole Estienne of Paris. She has illustrated over 120 books for children and her books have been translated into many languages. She is the illustrator of the Seasons board books, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Where Do They Go When It Rains? (all Floris Books).

Links

Also by Gerda Muller:
Two wonderful picture books about children exploring the natural world:
Where Do They Go When It Rains?
How Does My Garden Grow?

A beautifully alive version of a classic fairy tale:
Goldilocks and the Three Bears

A series of chunky board books without text, sharing the fun and festivals of the seasons:
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter