The Nut That Fell from the Tree

In Bhadra’s loosely-based parody of the English nursery rhyme, The House That Jack Built, the story of an acorn’s life cycle is told through cumulative rhymes. Starting the story out, Jill is playing in her treehouse, held by the oak that drops the acorn. Numerous animals take a part in the acorn’s movement, including a bear “that chased the doe . . . that surprised the raccoon . . . that tricked the goose . . . that ruffled the jay . . . that swooped in on the rat . . . that stole the nut that fell from the oak that holds the house where Jill plays.” As the rhyme builds and repeats with each new animal encounter, finally the acorn lands on a hill, initiating a second section of cumulative rhyme illustrating the acorn being planted and growing into a grand oak tree that holds a new treehouse for a boy named Jack. The rhymes flow unrestrained, though the amount of repetition isn’t for every reader. The illustrations by Cormeir expand upon the storyline in the text and contain a lovely murky color palette featuring mossy greens, dark hues, and occasional pops of color. While never expressly stated, astute readers can deduce that Jill is Jack’s grandmother as she clutches her stuffed bear and wears her red cape, bringing the story full circle (a wonderful addition to the theme of the life cycle) and displaying a sense of time for the acorn to develop into an oak.