12 May Review: Sometimes I Feel Like an Oak
Sometimes I Feel Like an Oak
Written by Danielle Daniel; illustrated by Jackie Traverse
Groundwood Books, 2024
ISBN: 9781773066981 (jacketed hardcover)
ISBN: 9781773066998 (eBook)
ISBN: 9781773067001 (Kindle)
$19.99 CAD (jacketed hardcover)
$16.99 CAD (eBook, Kindle)
32 pages
Ages: 3 to 6 years old
Review by: Elisabeth de Grandpré
Danielle Daniel’s series Sometimes I Feel Like explores the relationship between people and nature. Daniel explores this through her Algonquin heritage and culture. The first book is about totem animals and the second about the natural world. Sometimes I Feel Like an Oak is the third book in the series and explores the relationship between people and different trees. Jackie Traverse’s landscapes of each different tree are bold, distinct, and pair well with the text. I love how accessible this book is. Each paragraph describes the character of each tree and how people have things in common with nature. For example: “Sometimes I feel like an oak, solid, mighty and stout.” It’s a beautiful representation of Indigenous Peoples’ culture and beliefs. Daniel urges her reader to take time and connect with trees, as she believes trees have a spirit. This is a poetic book on nature and I suggest it for school and public libraries. It would work well for story time and a matching tree craft.