| Title | : | Eliza's Cherry Trees: Japan's Gift to America |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1589809548 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781589809543 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 32 |
| Publication | : | First published January 29, 2011 |
Eliza's Cherry Trees: Japan's Gift to America Reviews
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Wonderful pictures make this story of an inspiring woman and her grand idea come alive. How lucky we are for Eliza, and to still have cherry trees in Washington D.C., even after we demonized the Japanese during WWII.
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An interesting tidbit about the history of Washington D.C., this book relates how the city got its famous cherry trees. I had never heard of Eliza Scidmore until I read this book, and now I'd like to read more. Not only was it her idea to bring the trees to Washington, but she was an early member of the National Geographic Society and wrote some of the earliest American travel guides to other countries. The message here for children is that if you have an idea that you think is good, keep trying until you find someone who agrees with you and will help. The illustrations here are colorful, but I didn't care for the illustrator's style, and that's why I gave it 3 stars. Aside from that, it's an appealing book, and made me want to visit Washington D.C. in the springtime just to see them bloom.
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This is a wonderful tale about the genesis of the cherry trees in Washington D.C. I've known for a long time that they were a gift from Japan, but I did not know that Eliza Scidmore was the person who first thought of the idea and made it happen.
She conceived of the plan after visiting Japan and seeing the cherry trees in blossom there. The sight of the beautiful flowers and the people picnicking under them sparked an idea to bring the trees to D.C. to help make the historic city filled with flowers in the Spring.
Although it took her more than 20 years to do so and she encountered many obstacles along the way, she helped orchestrate the planting of the trees. Almost a hundred years since then, the trees are an icon of the city and become a phenomenon in the Spring, with the much-celebrated Cherry Blossom Festival. I think Eliza would be thrilled.
This is a very interesting book and we enjoyed learning a little more about the history of the trees and the local area where we live. The illustrations are wonderful and we liked the additional information provided in the timeline of her life at the end. -
I think kids will be interested in learning how the cherry trees came to Washington, D.C. Eliza Scidmore is a fascinating historical figure for other reasons as well. This author has a great website for teachers and homeschoolers based on this book.
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This is a great picture book about Eliza Scidmore, the woman responsible for the gift of cherry trees which is so celebrated here in the D.C. area, and the persistence and dedication required to see her vision come to fruition.
A little wordy for storytime, but I hope I can convince one of my attendees to take it home to read, because it tells a great story! -
Summary: Zimmerman recounts the adventures of Eliza Scidmore’s world travels and her tenacity to see the beautiful Cherry Trees of Japan line the waterfront of Washington D.C. Eliza was met with many naysayers in her struggle to bring a piece of her travels to Washington. Her drive to have these trees planted in her hometown was not only an effort to beautify our nations capital but also to be seen as a symbol of peace and camaraderie with Japan.
This book offers a unique look at the struggles that Eliza Scidmore faced in her pursuit to bring a beloved piece of Japanese culture to Washington D.C. Zimmerman offers readers a glimpse into what life may have been like for a woman trying to make her own path and inspire others with the beauty she found in her travels. This book can motivate and encourage others to take a stand when they believe in something and not to back down in the face of hardship and obstacles.
Author: Andrea Zimmerman
Illustrator: Ju Hong Chen
Award(s)/Honor(s): Giverny Award (2012); Eureka Nonfiction Children’s Book Silver Honor Award from the California Reading Association.
Non-fiction; Foreign Relations; Japan; United States History
Grades: K-3 (Can also be used in higher grades for content purposes)
Classroom Connection: While this book is intended for readers grades K-3, this is a great book to use to introduce multiple ideas to a classroom of older students as well as K-3. Themes such as world travel/geography and women’s roles in early 20th century can be seen throughout the book which can offer teachers an opportunity to begin discussing these topics in more depth. Teachers can also use this book to help reinforce discussions about the nations capital or gifted landmarks across the US and their meaning. The opportunity to introduce new vocabulary (e.g. rickshaws, carriages, temples, etc.) can also be seen throughout the book. This book could be used during a read aloud or during independent reading.
Readers’ Advisory: Some of the content does require some prior knowledge to understand it. For instance, there is a comment at the end of the book regarding George Washington chopping down a cherry tree. There is also some discussion about the National Geographic’s Society. If students do not have a basic understanding of these things they may not fully comprehend the some significance content illustrated in the story.
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In the midst of the worst disaster to strike Japan since World War II, it's somehow poignant to recall, through this new picture book, an early gesture of friendship between the two countries: Japan's gift of cherry trees to the nation's capital.
But do you know the story of how that gift came about? Andrea Zimmerman's book tells the story of a remarkable woman, Eliza Scidmore, who in the late 19th century, led a life of high adventure, writing about her travels all over the world for a variety of magazines and newspapers, including National Geographic, where she was the first woman journalist. She was a photographer as well, and took pictures for the Smithsonian. She even wrote the first guidebook to Alaska. But she particularly fell in love with Japan and its people, studying Japanese art and learning to speak the language. Especially struck by the beauty of Japanese gardens, she called their cherry trees "the most beautiful thing in the world."
When Eliza returned home to Washington, she came up with the idea of planting these special trees in the nation's capital. For years her plans met with plenty of "no's" from Washington bureaucrats; it wasn't until she got the support of the president's wife, Mrs Taft, however, that the trees could be sent. It wasn't an easy process--the first trees that arrived were diseased, and had to be burned. Three thousand new trees were sent, however, and were finally planted in March of 1912. [In 1965, 3,800 more trees were accepted as a gift by then First Lady Lady Bird Johnson.]
The trees not only beautified the city, they became an important symbol of peace and friendship between countries. A famous National Cherry Blossom Festival draws thousands of visitors each spring in Washington. As part of a number of projects underway to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the original gift, the National Park Service will be sending cuttings from the original trees to the Japan Cherry Blossom Association to be planted in Japan (see article in The Japan Times).
The book features lovely illustrations by Chinese artist Ju Hong Chen. Back matter includes a timeline, with further biographical details about Eliza Scidmore. An attractive website has also been set up on Scidmore, with a teacher's guide and other resources relevant to the book. -
Eliza Scidmore loved to travel. From the time she was little and her mother took her to Europe, she dreamed of adventure and excitement in other lands. Woman had few options at this time (mid to late 1800s), but Eliza refused to let that stop her. She went to college and developed her writing skills. She wrote numerous newspaper articles and a couple of books. She traveled to Alaska, Japan, and Europe. She visited India, China, Russia, and Indonesia. But she especially fell in love with Japan, its people, its food, and its cherry trees. When she returned home after her first visit to Japan, she looked at the muddy riverbanks of Washington D.C. and got a wonderful idea. Wouldn't some of those Japanese cherry trees with their beautiful blossoms look great there. Eliza took her idea to the man in charge of the Washington parks, he declined. Over a span of twenty years, Eliza kept going back, every time someone new was placed in charge of the parks, but they all said no. Finally, she took her idea to Mrs. Taft, the wife of then President Howard Taft. Mrs. Taft loved the idea. The Japanese were more than happy to share their trees. Unfortunately, the first batch of trees were diseased and had to be destroyed. But the second batch was perfectly healthy and the beautiful cherry blossoms have been enjoyed by many since then.
This is a great story of persistence in the face of many difficulties. Eliza had a good idea and she wasn't going to give it up. Zimmerman let's us see the difference that one person can make. The pictures of the blossoms are gorgeous and Chen does a fine job of showing Eliza through the years of changing fashions. He also offers us rather faded pictures of the places Eliza travels to, almost as if to say that those places couldn't be fully appreciated without being there, which is undoubtedly true. The pages showing the blooming cherry trees are definitely the highlight of the book with the bright colors and serene landscapes. The writing is clean and crisp and moves the story along at a brisk pace, which Eliza would surely appreciate. A nice book for reminding all of us just how connected we really are. -
The true story of how Washington, DC got its famous cherry blossom trees. A story of persistence as it took decades for Eliza Scidmore's idea to happen. An interesting story, particularly for children who live in or will visit DC.
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More like 3 1/2 for me. It was a nice story with nice illustrations, would be nice to read as a family before going to DC.
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Wonderful story telling the story of Eliza Scidmore bringing Japanese cherry blossom trees to Washington, DC as a symbol of unity between Japan and the United States.
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Grades K-4
This book by Andrea Zimmerman, tells a story about an outstanding woman who, back in the 19th century, lived a very adventurous life and told about her travels by writing stories for newspapers and magazines. Through her travels, and after spending time in Japan, she developed a great love for the country and the people. She spent a lot of time in the Japanese gardens among her favorite cherry trees. Growing up in Washington DC and coming back often to visit, she felt the city missed something. One day it hit her....the city needed cherry trees, the beautiful cherry trees she admired in the Japanese gardens. Her idea was declined over and over but with her persistence and patience, her dream came true. This book tells a story of friendship between two countries as Japan gifts thousands of cherry trees to the United States.
Who's to say adults can't learn from children's books. I have never heard this story about the cherry trees and to be quite honest, didn't know they held a story at all. I do know that they ARE magnificent trees and do add beauty to an already beautiful place.
I understand the story takes place in the 19th century and the illustrations depict that very well, but for a picture book, the story captivated me much more than the pictures. The illustrations didn't speak to me but certainly didn't take away from the story either. I recommend it, not just for its enjoyment but as a little piece of history many might not know about. -
How did Washington, DC end up with its beautiful cherry trees? Eliza Scidmore, an independent and education young woman, decided that the way to beautify the nation's capital was to plant Japanese cherry trees. After working on her plan for a number of years, she wrote the President Taft's wife and her plan was set in motion. The first shipment of 2,000 trees was infested with bugs and had to be burned but the second shipment of 3,000 tree, carefully prepared, was able to be planted in 1912. The trees have become a symbol of peace and friendship and the annual flowering of the cherry trees is a much anticipated Washington spring event.
While I don't love the illustrations in this nonfiction text, they highlight Eliza's time period and unique vision of Washington. The text also includes a timeline of Eliza's life, though no bibliography or source notes.
Recommended for elementary school students, especially those in the Washington, DC area. -
This would be a nice choice for families visiting Washington DC to learn a little bit about the history of the cherry trees before they see them in person. It's also a serviceable choice for women's history since Eliza Scidmore bucked the trend of settling down with children in favor of traveling the world (in the late 19th and early 20th centuries). However, the story's simply nice, not particularly compelling or studded with historical facts. Eliza went to Japan, thought the cherry trees looked nice, and spent 24 years trying to convince men in government to plant them. A timeline of Eliza Scidmore's life is included at the end.
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I really enjoyed this book! The story centers around the Cherry Blossoms in Washington D. C. and showcases their history and how they came to decorate the landscape. It was cool to see the story from Eliza's perspective. The illustrations were lovely - they really added to the text and brought the book to life. It was a sweet story and I'd recommend it, especially for people interested in D. C. history.
*Taken from my book reviews blog:
http://reviewsatmse.blogspot.com/2011... -
As a young woman growing up in the late 1800s, Eliza Scidmore had a thirst for exploration and adventure and set her mind on travel. During a trip to visit her brother abroad, she fell in love with Japan and its culture. She was determine to strengthen the ties between America and Japan and spent many years trying to persuade officials to plant Japanese cherry trees along the Potomac river. She finally succeeded and today we can all see and enjoy these beautiful trees that have become a symbol of Washington, DC.
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Ever notice the cherry blossom trees right by Lincoln Memorial in spring? They're all due to Eliza. Check out the biography of a lady who traveled the world before many women were financially able to travel or felt comfortable doing it at all. She wanted to bring back her most favorite thing on earth - Japan's cherry blossom trees - to the USA. She never gave up, pursuing her goal through multiple presidencies, and eventually, we had this beautiful national landmark.
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Mrs. Taft has always been credited with being the first lady who made the hundreds of cherry trees planted around Washington D.C. a reality, when in truth the credit should go to Eliza Scidmore. A woman who dogged persistence is the reason for the beautiful sakura trees that transform the landscape each spring with pink snow. Scidmore was one of those rare women far ahead of her time and I look forward to reading more about her.
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An interesting glimpse into the life of Eliza Scidmore, the woman who campaigned for Japanese cherry trees to be planted in Washington, DC. The book depicts Eliza's uncommon travels, her involvement with the then new National Geographic Society and what happened to the first group of cherry trees sent by Japan. The softness of the illustrations adds a sense of time.
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I am a huge fan of the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin in DC. However, I did not know that a journalist, Eliza Scidmore, introduced the idea to Mrs. Taft. This book does a nice job of describing an independent career woman in an era when they were not the norm. It would be a great book to use in the classroom for Women's History Month.
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I enjoyed the story of how our nation's capital obtained these beautiful trees, but the messages of how one person's idea can make a big difference or how sometimes you just have to keep trying are the parts of this book that stuck to me!
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We always like books that tie the culture we are learning about in with where we live. This one doesn't actually talk much about Japan, but it was interesting to learn how the cherry trees came to Washington DC.
