This inviting selection of exquisitely illustrated titles introduces the physical characteristics, life cycle, and ecological role of trees while also celebrating their awe-inspiring wonder. A perfect supplement to elementary-level studies of life science, these books can also be utilized to complement units about environmental conservation and stewardship, investigations of local ecosystems, seed-planting activities, and nature-based creative projects, and the celebration of Earth Day and National Arbor Day later this month.
From Seed to Tree
All trees, whether soaring sequoia, sprawling cypress, or beloved backyard balsam, start from something precious and small. Eliza Wheeler spins a whimsical tale about a mouse-sized woman who scours the countryside all summer long to gather “orphaned” seeds. Tucked away in her tree-hollow home, Miss Maple’s Seeds (Penguin/Nancy Paulsen, 2013; K-Gr 4) are kept safe and warm, educated about the benefits of rich soil and nurturing rain, and entertained by stories and songs, until springtime when they are proudly sent off to nearby gardens and faraway lands “to find roots of their own.” The softly shaded watercolors blend botanical details with fancy to depict a diminutive but big-hearted caretaker of nature, and remind readers of the remarkable potential found in each of Miss Maple’s tiny charges (“…even the grandest of trees once had to grow up from the smallest of seeds”).
How do these seeds find their way to fertile ground? In Who Will Plant a Tree? (Sleeping Bear, 2010; K-Gr 3), Jerry Pallotta’s accessible text and Tom Leonard’s luminous artwork portray one method of dispersal, as various animals unknowingly plant seeds while going about their day-to-day lives. For example, a squirrel buries an acorn, a wren accidentally drops a juniper berry before feeding it to her young, and an owl swallows a mouse that had been snacking on elm seeds and then coughs up a pellet. A range of locales and habitats are depicted as monkeys playfully toss seed-filled figs or a pacu fish eats floating fruit in the Amazon River and “poops” to plant trees. This simple yet captivating offering clearly conveys information about its topic while underscoring the interconnectedness of all living things.
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n a similar manner, Laura Purdie Salas’s poem-turned picture book emphasizes the role foliage plays in a tree’s life cycle as well as in the broader ecosystem. Clever word pairings will please ears and stimulate imaginations: A Leaf Can Be… (Millbrook, 2012, K-Gr 3) a “Soft cradle/Water ladle/Sun taker/Food maker.” Violeta Dabija’s shimmering folk-art paintings reveal, respectively, caterpillar cocoons safely nestled in leaves, a plump sheep sipping rainwater from a leafy bowl, and foliage-bedecked trees that reach toward a smiling sun. The book makes an engaging read-aloud, and an appended author’s note explains the science behind each verbal/visual image, briefly covering concepts such as photosynthesis, how animals use leaves as camouflage, and other topics worthy of further research.
All three titles present images of seeds and leaves that can be compared to scientific illustrations, photographs, or the actual items. Students can use field guides or websites (such as the Arbor Day Foundation [https://www.arborday.org/] to identify various tree species featured in the books. Filled with clearly rendered images, Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long’s lovely and lyrical A Seed Is Sleepy (Chronicle, 2007) is a useful resource for exploring both the science and wonder of seeds and plants. Bring the concepts home by taking your students on a nature walk; kids can make notes about and drawings of the trees they observe, collect seeds and leaves, make bark rubbings, identify local species, and create a neighborhood tree guide.
It’s an Ecosystem!
Blending straightforward narrative with crystal clear photographs, Angela Royston traces the life cycle of an Oak Tree (Heinemann, 2009; K-Gr 4) from acorn to centuries-old giant. Smoothly incorporating terms such as “catkins” and “pollen” (defined in a glossary), the text also mentions the tree’s role as host to other life forms. A graphic legend keeps the chronology straight, and the well-chosen photos—including a cutaway image of a sprouting acorn and close-up of new buds with leaves folded within—convey a wealth of information.
Supplement this nonfiction title with two handsome picture books that focus on the fascinating ecosystem that flourishes in and around an oak tree. In Jennifer Ward amd Lisa 
Falkenstern’s offering, The Busy Tree (Marshall Cavendish, 2009; K-Gr 4) speaks for itself with rhyming first-person verses that describe chipmunks nibbling on its acorns, ants scurrying up its trunk in search of food, a spider spinning a web in its branches, and the activities of other critters. Realistic oil paintings bring the oak and its inhabitants to vivid life. Another majestic oak—standing large and lonely behind a school—quietly explains to a group of spellbound students exactly why This Tree Counts! (Albert Whitman, 2010; K-Gr 4). From one owl sitting on a high branch to ten earthworms gliding over its roots, the oak introduces different life forms that rely upon it for their survival. After listening closely, Mr. Tate’s class continues with their project of planting saplings (10, of course), while learning more about trees and their bounty. Alison Formento’s text and Sarah Snow’s dynamic earth-hued collages are both entertaining and elucidating.
All three titles provide an excellent opportunity for comparing different types of texts, narrative viewpoints, various ways that information is conveyed, and a varied array of visuals (photos and illustrations in unique artistic styles). Use these books to initiate investigation of the oak tree ecosystem. Students can divide into groups and choose a particular animal or insect species to research, seeking basic facts in print and online sources. Create a classroom oak tree display and have the youngsters make drawings or paintings of their creatures and locate them in the appropriate zone (roots, trunk, branches and leaves).
Plant a Tree and Change the World
The Tree Lady (S & S/Beach Lane, 2013; K-Gr 4) introduces a trailblazing horticulturalist who transformed San Diego from desert town to “the lush, leafy city it is today.” This enchanting picture book biography of Katherine Olivia Sessions (1857-1940) begins with her childhood in woodsy Northern California and love of the outdoors. As an adult, she moved to dry and dusty San Diego to teach, but her longing for trees soon had her heading in another direction. Carefully researching species suited to the arid conditions, she opened a nursery and soon her saplings were rooted citywide. Preparations for the 1915 San Diego Exposition at Balboa Park provided impetus for Kate and her cohorts to plant thousands of trees and transform the barren grounds into a shady foliage-filled haven. Emphasizing Kate’s passion and persistence, H. Joseph Hopkins’s buoyant narrative and Jill McElmurry’s beguiling paintings depict a dedicated environmentalist and the fruits of her labors.
Two picture books introduce another individual who greatly impacted her community as well as the environment. Jen Cullerton Johnson and Sonia Lynn Sadler’s Seeds of Change (Lee & Low, 2010; Gr 1-4) introduces the life and work of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai (1940-2011), a Kenyan conservationist and human rights advocate who founded a grassroots movement to reforest her country by encouraging women to plant trees. This brightly illustrated overview spans from Wangari’s childhood in a Kikuyu village to her adult career and role as political activist. Illustrated with Kadir Nelson’s striking collages and embossed throughout with Kikuyu words,
Donna Jo Napoli’s lyrical Mama Miti (S & S/Paula Wiseman, 2010; K-Gr 4) focuses more on the simple and sound logic and great-hearted spirit of Maathai’s work than on biographical particulars. Responding thoughtfully to the many poor women who seek her counsel about hardships (hunger, lack of shelter, etc.), the “wise Wangari” repeatedly advises, “plant a tree,” and then suggests a specific species to address each problem (the mubiru muiru to grow edible berries, for example, or a mukinduri to yield firewood), providing both useful guidance and hope for the future.
Branching Out
Barbara Reid proves that there are many ways to Picture a Tree (Albert Whitman, 2013; K-Gr 4) with an imagination-flexing barrage of verbal and visual imagery. In fact, “You may see a drawing on the sky” (a winter-bare tree sprawls against a cloud-gray backdrop like a child’s penciled drawing), “A tunnel” (verdant branches form a leafy arch above a narrow residential street), “or an ocean” (a balcony-perched youngster gazes over a sea of green trees speckled with homes and high-rises). The spare text, simple enough for beginning readers, is expanded through Plasticine illustrations that explode with details, textures, colors, and lifelike vitality. The words and pictures on each spread encourage contemplation and discussion and inspire children to look anew at the trees that fill their world, and the final page invites them to jump right in: “Picture a tree. What do you see?”
Cleverly designed to open vertically (as a tree grows), Douglas Florian’s Poetrees (S & S/Beach Lane, 2010; Gr 2-6) presents 18 poems that ponder both basic tree characteristics (seeds, roots, rings, leaves, bark) and specific species (baobab, bristlecone pine, weeping willow, and more). Showcased on handsome spreads, the selections are rich in euphonious rhythm and rhyme (“Never destroy a/Giant sequoia”), smile-winning wordplay (“Lovely leaves/Leave me in awe”), and admiration (the banyan spreads “Branches,/trunks,/and roots in chorus./It’s not a tree—/It’s a forest!”). Facts are mixed with a touch of the fantastical (additional information is provided in the helpful “Glossatree”), and mixed-media collages (aptly rendered on primed brown paper bags) enhance each poem’s mood and meaning.
Margi Preus’s Celebritrees (Holt/Christy Ottaviano, 2011; Gr 2-5) showcases 14 trees renowned for their historical significance, age, or amazing physical features, all charmingly illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon. Included here are Methuselah, a California bristlecone pine estimated to be 4,800 years old (it “was already over 200 years old when the ancient Egyptians were building the Great Sphinx”); General Sherman, a giant sequoia that weighs in at almost three million pounds and is “the biggest living inhabitant of earth by volume; and Major Oak in England’s Sherwood Forest, fabled to have once played host to Robin Hood and his merry men. There are even “moon trees,” raised from seeds taken on the Apollo 14 trip in 1971 and planted in countries across the globe. Incorporating snippets of history, science, geography, and legend, the book covers a wide scope of subject content, and the leafy luminaries profiled here are bound to inspire the next generation of tree devotees.
These imaginative titles can germinate numerous undertakings, ranging from fact-based research papers about the highlighted species and role of trees in the environment to creative writing and art projects. Students can create their own poems and brown paper bag paintings, pick an interesting looking tree and write a story about it, or make a collage from found leaves and seeds. Visit the American Forest Foundation’s “Project Learning Tree” (https://www.plt.org/) for environmental education curriculum resources (and online samples for getting started), tips for teaching outdoors, family activities, and more.
The Common Core State Standards below are a sampling of those referenced in the above books and classroom activities:
RL. 1.1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
RL. 1.5 Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.
RL 3.7. Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story.
RI. 1.1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
RI 1.9 Identify basic similarities and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).
RI 2.6 Identify the main topic of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
RI. 2.9. Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic.
RI. 3.7 Use information gained from illustrations…and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text.
W. 1.2. Write information/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and prove some sense of closure.
W. 2.7. Participate in shared research and writing projects.
W 3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.
SL. 1.2. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud….