Poetry Friday: "Our Tree" by Marchette Chute

When spring comes round, our apple tree
Is very full of flowers,
And when a bird sits on a branch
The petals fall in showers.

When summer comes, our apple tree
Is very full of green,
And everywhere you look in it
There is a leafy screen.

When autumn comes, our apple tree
Is full of things to eat.
The apples hang from every branch
To tumble at our feet.

When winter comes, our apple tree
Is full of snow and ice
And rabbits come to visit it . . .
We think our tree is nice.

This is a perfect time to begin an apple tree study - one that might last the whole year 'round! Do you live near an apple orchard, one that would be convenient to visit a few, or perhaps several, times a year?

A few Septembers ago, my dear friend Lisa suggested we conduct an apple tree nature study with our children. One fine autumn day we brought our children to a local farm and parked ourselves beneath an apple tree. Not just any tree, mind you - the children spent a good deal of time deciding just which tree would be the one to befriend.

Once we selected our tree, we made ourselves comfortable on blankets spread out underneath, and began sketching. Our idea was to visit "our" tree several times throughout the growing season and observe it in all of its stages - fruited, barren and blossomed. I am sorry to report, we let that project get away from us, but this year I would like to renew it(what do you say, Lisa?). :) We'll start with the flowers of spring.

Possibly the trees are just past bloom time, depending on where you live. But that's all right - anywhere you start in the year is a start. Within a year's time your tree will have covered the entire cycle of life. But if you begin soon, your children will have many months to observe their special tree and by autumn, its fruit will taste all the sweeter.

I'll post more on this idea in the future, but I wanted to mention it along with this week's poem - which I think would serve as a lovely cover page to an apple tree journal.

"Our Tree is by Marchette Chute, whose poems I have come to know through a tiny and beloved gem ~ A Small Child's Book of Cozy Poems. It is illustrated by one of my favorites, Cyndy Szekeres (are you familiar with Pippa Mouse books at all?) Several of her poems are featured in this lovely little book, which I highly recommend for the little ones. It's not a board book, but a real hardcover - and slim as it is, it's just the right size for small hands. Its page are filled with mice and other woodland creatures in all kinds of homey arrangements. My particular favorite is a poem called "Politeness" about a squirrel. Maybe that will be my poem next week! :)

Have a grand day, everyone, and be sure to stop by Kelly's Big A little a for the Poetry Friday Round-Up!

Comments

[cloudscome]

Fabulous idea and great post! When I taught first grade we did a tree study every spring. Each child chose a tree to observe. They kept nature journals and we learned about bark, roots, crown shapes, leaves, seeds, flowers, fruits and life cycles of trees. It was really a great unit. They sketched their trees every week and really saw the changes. I'll have to look for that book A Small Child's Book of Cozy Poems.

[Sherry]

Are you familiar with Gail Gibbons' book, The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree?