THE HOLE IN THE TREE, besides being a fascinating ecological story, is also a delightful picture book. It was written early in the half-century-long writing career of children's greatest nature writer, Jean Craighead George. Before she went on to write classics like JULIE OF THE WOLVES and today's books like the Ecological Mysteries, HOW TO TALK TO YOUR DOG, and the One Day in the. . .series, Ms. George turned out several books that she wrote and illustrated. Among them are the animal biographies she wrote with husband John George, like VULPES THE RED FOX and DIPPER OF COPPER CREEK. There was the enduring, Newbery Honor-winning MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN, too. And there were her picture books, THE HOLE IN THE TREE and SNOW TRACKS. Apparently, SNOW TRACKS is not currently available on Amazon. It tells the cozy story of a forest full of animals who have adventures on a cold winter night, and a boy who follows their tracks. THE HOLE IN THE TREE is done in the same style. In it, a young boy and girl find a sanctuary under an old shady apple tree. So do a lot of wild things--woodpeckers, insects, raccoons--and the children, though they might think they are alone, soon have many neighbors in the hollow tree trunk. The pictures are lively and warm, penciled with great detail and close observation of natural behavior. The story, too, is detailed and thorough, helping explain the pictures with creative, understandable words. A carpenter bee, one of nature's most crafted homemakers, lays her eggs in the hole; a chickadee builds a nest; a raccoon hibernates; and the pictures offer a wonderful look into these otherwise hidden worlds. Sadly, this fine story of nature and ecology has been out of print for years. - from Amzon