Acorn Was a Little Wild
Author: Jen Arena
Illustrator: Jessica Gibson
Scholastic Books
ISBN: 978-1-339-03452-2
Copyright 2022
Grades PreK-2
What happens when an acorn falls off a tree?
As someone who has plenty of acorns in her backyard thanks to a big oak tree, I’ve never given much thought to what happens when they fall. Usually, we rake all the leaves and acorns into a big pile and place everything in our green waste bin. Occasionally, we’ll miss some acorns, and within a few months I’ll notice a baby oak growing through the dirt.
So, when I found a cute book called Acorn Was a Little Wild at the book fair at my son’s school, I decided to buy it and read it to my kiddos.
In this cheeky story about an acorn, the reader learns about the life cycle of an oak tree and just what it means to grow up in nature.
The story begins in the autumn when we first meet little Acorn. After dropping down onto the ground, he gets his first taste of freedom. Whether it’s rolling down hills at breakneck speeds or feeling the wind whipping through his cap, he loves the thrill of adventure. What’s sweet about this story is how excited Acorn is about life. Even though he faces minor mishaps along the way (hello, squirrels!), he maintains a positive attitude as the reader watches him grow.
From spreading his roots over the winter to sprouting through the soil in the spring, we see little Acorn grow up through the seasons. Over time, he becomes a beautiful, mighty oak that has hundreds of acorns that he encourages to take a leap of faith and grow into their next role – oak trees.
Learn as you grow
What I enjoyed about this story is that children learn two lessons:
- A Tree’s Lifecycle – Thanks to seed carriers like squirrels, acorns get a second chance at a new life. They’re buried underground and over time, thanks to nutrients in the soil, water, and sun, they begin to grow roots, push up and out through the soil, and grow into hearty oaks.
- Growing up is part of life and while we all have trials and tribulations, our attitude is something we can control. We can all learn something from little Acorn – a thirst for adventure, trying new things, and having a positive attitude can make a big difference!
PLT Activities
Ages 1-6
Use this book with the following activities from PLT’s Trees & Me: Activities for Exploring Nature with Young Children:
- Fall for Trees
- Best Buds
- Parts to Play
Grades K-2
Use this book with the following activities from PLT’s flagship curriculum, Explore Your Environment: K-8 Activity Guide.
- A Tree’s Life
- Did You Notice?
- Have Seeds, Will Travel
- Here We Grow Again
Megan Annis
Megan Annis
