THE VERY EAGER EVERGREEN

Doug Fir is eager to change color, hibernate, or migrate; he observes these phenomena around him every autumn and pines for transformation or even transplantation. Unable to cease chlorophyll production, he sadly must be “forever green.” His migrating friend Robin drops the bombshell news that palm trees are evergreens, too, and carries Doug’s letter bemoaning his “cold and boring” life to Queenie the Queen Palm, who lives in Florida. While he’s waiting, “chilly and stuck,” for a spring reply, we see that other critters depend on him. By mail, Queenie counsels Doug to “stick to your roots.” He admits he needs rich soil, not sand; as his “family tree” attests, generations of evergreens have lived in the forest. Still, Doug remains depressed until Queenie observes, “I’m sure you do more than you think,” and Doug realizes that a bear, mushrooms, deer, fir-sprouts, and bats all need him. Doug’s epiphany feels rather abrupt—and readers may wonder if it will last. He’s an appealing figure, with expressive cartoonish eyes, but the tale feels spread thin in its attempt to both convey info on ecology and offer a portrait of a protagonist learning to be satisfied with himself. A final page offers basic stats on four evergreen species.