The dedication of [Song of the Trees]—thirteen lines which end "To my grandparents … who bridged the generations between slavery and freedom; and To the Family, who fought and survived"—immediately sets the tone of black pride that permeates every page…. [The] book is almost written to formula: Blacks encounter evil whites who attempt to rob them of their possessions and dignity, but a strong, black man counteracts with force. But what could have been a banal, trite book has been saved by its description of a child's feeling for nature which elevates the story from the socio-political realm…. The simple story has been written with great conviction and strength, and Cassie's descriptions of the trees add a poetic touch.

Anita Silvey, "Stories for the Middle Readers: 'Song of the Trees'," in The Horn Book Magazine (copyright © 1975 by the Horn Book, Inc., Boston), Vol. LI, No. 4, August, 1975, p...