The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Franco, Betsy

Zero Is the Leaves on the Tree

32 pp. | Tricycle | August, 2009 | Trade ISBN 978-1-58246-249-3 $15.99

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Shino Arihara. Via a tour of the seasons, this book provides thought-provoking meditations about zero, upending the notion that zero amounts to nothing. In summertime, "Zero is... / the footprints on the beach / when the waves come in and in and in. / 0 footprints." Franco's lyricism is reflected in Arihara's gouache paintings, which are quiet and contemplative with subtle yet eye-catching details.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2009