About My Books

From Booklist , March 1, 1994

Ages 7-10.   The text for this nonfiction picture book tells the story of a redwood tree, from its sprouting until its fall and decay some 2,300 years later. With each turn of the page, the author notes changes in the tree, then she shifts to tell of an event that happened at the same time, such as Alexander the Great leading his conquering army, the Chinese building the Great Wall, Native Americans gathering plants and nuts in the redwood forest, George Washington becoming the president of the newly independent nation, and a man walking on the moon. Beautifully textured paintings extend across each double-page spread, showing the forest in the central panel, with images of the other contemporary event in the side and lower margins. On the top, a time line uses pictorial symbols and dates to show the passage of time. From the complex but controlled page layout to the subtle shadings of color, Canyon shows promise in this, his first book. While the writing may be difficult for primary-grade kids to handle on their own, teachers may want to read the book aloud. Libraries inundated each fall with teacher requests for "tree books" at this age or grade level should consider multiple copies. Carolyn Phelan

Copyright© 1994, American Library Association. All rights reserved

Publishers Weekly, November 17, 1997

Armchair travelers are in capable hands as a perceptive author-artist team (THE EVER-LIVING TREE) conducts a picture-book tour of a glorious national landmark. Vieira whittles her vast subject down to size by taking a "day in the life" approach, beginning with the drama of an early  morning lightning storm and continuing on through the arrival of visitors and a five-hour mule trek down to the canyon floor. Whether describing the grandeur of the scenery, the geologic history embedded in the canyon's rock layers, the traces left behind by the Havasupai and Anasazi, or plant and animal life, the author incorporates the details into a fluid text lit up by vivid prose: spires and buttes stand "like sentries on the plateau"; steep riverbanks are "the roots of mountains." Like Vieira, the aptly named Canyon is adept at defining not only the grand vistas but also the close-focus scenery. Although the almost surreal pinks, lavenders and smokey reds and oranges for which the site is famous look overbright at times, his paintings are otherwise meticulous as they capture the abundant wildlife and unique geology. Shifting perspectives add interest--readers look out across the canyon, up at the sky from the river and then down on a trio of mules winding around a treacherous corner. A thumbnail history of the site concludes this invigorating trip.

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