STRETCH TO THE SUN: From a Tiny Sprout to the Tallest Tree on Earth by Carrie A. Pearson.  Illus. by Susan Swan.  Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2018.  32p.  ISBN 978-1580897716 hc. $16.99    Gr. K-3    JNF 634.9

New growth sprouts from the trunk of a fallen giant redwood tree.  With rain, sunlight, and nutrients from the forest soil, it grows to its full height of more than two hundred feet.  Over the centuries, the forest remains a home to numerous animals and birds. It faces danger from storms, fire, and in the twentieth century, from loggers with huge metal machinery.  Thanks to the efforts of conservationists and the National Park Service, the Redwood National Park protects 120,000 acres of redwood forest in northern California.  Swan's illustrations, created with digital collage, add color and motion to each page.  There's plenty of action as bright hues accent the trees and plants, while allowing readers to find the muted wildlife half-hidden around the edges.  Pearson, author of A WARM WINTER'S TAIL (2012) and A COOL SUMMER'S TAIL (2014), identifies her books as "informational fiction" because, although they are well researched and full of facts, they are presented in story form.  See the resource pages in the back for even more information.
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI