The symbiotic relationship between squirrels and oak trees is explored in this rhyming picture-book, which follows its sciurine subject through the seasons, as she gathers and stores acorns in the fall, only to miss some of them in the winter. In the spring, some of these cached acorns sprout, eventually producing oak trees, which in turn provide shelter to squirrel families...

Pairing an engaging read-aloud text - "Squirrel hoards her acorn seeds, / scatter-hoards the nut-brown beads, / buries them in dirt and weeds, / those hearty acorn seeds" - with appealing artwork, Squirrel's Family Tree would make an excellent story-time selection, as well as a good introduction to the idea of symbiotic relationships in nature, and the importance of small creatures in their larger ecosystems. A.N. Kang's artwork is cute, and well-matched to the story, and the beauty of the natural world in all seasons really comes through. Recommended to young nature and animal lovers. ( )

Squirrels, acorns, and oak trees are all connected in this life cycle story, told in four rhyming lines per double-page-spread. Other woodland animals (rabbits, cardinals, owls) are shown too.

"But squirrels also help the tree
by planting seeds haphazardly."

Soft, realistic illustrations are colored pencil and digital color. ( )