I Think That I Shall Never See... TREES Like These! (Nodding to Joyce Kilmer, Here)

If you've been reading my posts in past years, you'll have noted my fondness for books involving nature, especially trees. A few previous reviews can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE. With a record-breaking hot, dry season upon us, trees have been in the news, both as shelter and atmosphere-saving as well as becoming endangered by ever-worsening climate change. It's always a good time to share picture books about trees, but this is an especially ideal time to develop deep appreciation for the lengthy and complex processes involved as trees grow from seed to maturity.

Candlewick, 2021

To start at the very beginning, as a familiar song lyric says, is a very good place to start. That advice finds a clever iteration in ZEE GROWS A TREE, written by Elizabeth Rusch and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. The long spans of time required to grow from sprout to mature tree are made more relatable by linking fictional Zee Cooper's birth (into a tree-farming family) with the very day when a Douglas Fir seedling sprouts in its pot. Children can recognize their own growth landmarks and developmental changes in Zee's patterns over time, as well as empathizing with her deep love and commitment to her tree. As with people, including Zee, times can be good AND bad in the lengthy life cycle of a tree.

This is a gentle and relatable fiction story used to reveal the growth patterns of douglas fir trees, loving relationships, and one family's lives as tree farmers. 

This lovely story is enhanced by brief, focused, and non-intrusive  sidebar content on each page, paralleling the needs, growth, and purposes of a tree with the growth patterns of Zee, for whom the tree was planted. 
The subdued and direct story and expository text are perfectly paired with realistic scenes, natural colors, and varying perspectives to give young readers a clear understanding of the science as well as the sentiments portrayed.

On that note, this seemingly fictional picture book incorporates many qualities of nonfiction, beyond the sidebar content. There is a simple index in back matter that points out pages with specific information about aspects of trees, Douglas firs in particular. The brief author note indicates ways in which a holiday evergreen can be enjoyed without having to cut down a healthy living tree, but also pointing out that this business practice can be a sustainable economic option, if managed correctly.

Several suggested readings are offered, and an acknowledgement on the last page indicates experts whose readings and advice contributed to the accuracy of the content. Even the copyright routines are formatted in the shape of a fir tree. All are details worth sharing.

ABRAMS BYR, 2022

A second and equally graceful offering is ALL FROM A WALNUT, written by Ammi-Joan Paquette and illustrated by Felicita Sala. In this case, a walnut tree's life journey is explored through a gift from grandfather, a walnut that appears on Emilia's nightstand. In this case, her age and natural curiosity lead to an ongoing conversation with her aging grandfather, who was once "a little nut like you", but living far across a distant ocean. 

In the course of their discussions Emilia learns that one of the towering trees in her yard grew from her grandfather's traveling-from-home walnut, and the second tree, also tall but not yet fully grown, grew from a walnut given to her mother at about the same age as Emilia is now. 

With gentle but evocative  illustrations, this multi-generational story is both loving and intense, incorporating the struggles of immigration, patience, grief, and hope. The closing scenes are both satisfying and stimulating, offering a spark to imagine how many more generations of life can be found in the lifetime of a tree, walnut by walnut.

Both picture books are rich  in detail, wrapping meaningful information in heartfelt stories. Both are adeptly illustrated to reveal both immediate emotions and relationships over time, allowing young readers to connect with  those years passing in a personal way. Both invite young readers to examine the details within the art, including subtle insights to changing seasons and surroundings along with botanical aspects and observations of trees. Both, in my opinion, will spark curiosity and appreciation of the magical reality of trees, both the science and the storytelling within their long lives. 

And BOTH are wonderful picture books that just might serve to launch similar traditions within families you know and love.