How The Forest Grew

WILLIAM JASPERSOHN

Publication: Greenwillow Books, 1980, New York

First edition. 8vo. Color, pictorial paper over boards, 55 [1] pp., illustrated. Illustrations by Chuck Eckart. Kirkus review says, "Have you ever wondered where forests come from, and how they grow? With that, Jaspersohn takes us back 200 years to an abandoned farm in Massachusetts. Seeds blow across the field, are warmed by sun and watered by rain, and in a few years the land is filled with a variety of weeds. Five years after the farm family's departure, a white pine seedling sprouts, and in 20 years the land is covered with white pines. Jaspersohn traces the succession from the pioneer pines to a middle stage that follows a lightning storm, and then to an under-story of shade-loving trees that gradually take over. Concurrent with these changes, we witness the succession of animals, the buildup of humus, and the small-scale supporting activity on the forest floor. The course has been traced before and just as simply; however, Jaspersohn does it gracefully and in businesslike order, and the words are atmospherically set off by Eckart's fine-line scenes of tranquil coexistence. Fine copy.

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