Imagine getting separated from your family, running into dinosaurs, and experiencing the end of the world, all while being a tiny little seed … literally.
This week, the CLSC Young Readers are following the adventures of two sycamore seeds as they navigate a world filled with dinosaurs, asteroids and nature, in a journey of separation, reunion, and growth. At 12:15 p.m. today on the porch of the Literary Arts Center at Alumni Hall, young readers and children’s literature enthusiasts are welcome to gather for a discussion based around this week’s CLSC Young Reader selection, Big Tree, by Brian Selznick.
Big Tree — which was featured in Chautauqua’s Battle of the Books competition for local fifth-graders this past May — explores the natural world through the lens of two sycamore seeds, Louise and her brother Merwin, as they fall from their “mother” sycamore tree, and get swept away, embarking on an adventure set in prehistoric times.
The book is filled with illustrations that allow the reader to immerse themselves in the experience and forge a connection with the non-human characters. It narrates the separation of the sycamore seeds from their mother, their encounters with dinosaurs, their expedition around a world they have never explored, and their separation from each other, as well as their touching reunion.
“It’s such a creative, fascinating look at the world from the story of a seed that’s growing into a tree,” said Manager of Literary Arts Stephine Hunt. “You get to see that progression, both in illustration and prose.”
Big Tree ties into Week Four’s Chautauqua Lecture Series theme, “Eight Billion and Counting: The Future of Humankind in a Crowded World,” by exploring non-human experiences, and how they are affected by humankind and its evolution.
“It worked really well for this theme,” Hunt said. “It’s crossing that border from human experience to other-than-human experience.”
Christine McKay, executive producer of CHQ Assembly, and Suzanne Fassett-Wright, director of arts education, will lead the discussion for Big Tree today, touching on themes and topics in the book, as well as designating some time for any one who has read it or wants to read it to share their thoughts.
This week’s early-reader book, Child of the Flower-Song People, by Luz Jiménez, is a picture book based on Jiménez’ true story as a model and teacher who is a living link between the indigenous Nahua people and the rest of the world. The book tells the story of Luz, a Nahua girl in the 1900s who is learning her culture’s traditions and stories. After the Mexican Revolution, Luz navigates a new life in Mexico City, where she becomes a muse for many artists who, by illustrating her, allow her to continue sharing her culture.
If weather allows, a Play CHQ event will be hosted on the Alumni Hall Lawn immediately following the book discussion, where kids of any age can take part in activities and games related to the books.
