Trees have been in the news a lot recently. In the Northwest, a summit was held concerning the protection of forests. The extinction of the world's rain forests is continually a matter of concern to environmentalists and world governments.
Medically, there is excitement over taxol, a new anticancer drug found in the bark of the Pacific yew tree. Many are concerned over the decimation of that species. Locally, groups are planting trees for beauty and conservation. Trees are an important part of our environment. They purify the air, provide oxygen, add moisture and reduce noise levels. Each acre of a growing forest produces about four tons of oxygen a year - enough for 18 people. Trees provide many important products for our daily lives such as fuel, building materials and the paper on which we write and read.
Picture books about trees offer information, fantasy, and stories about how trees are taken care of and serve as "markers" in history. Following are some of my favorite books about trees:
"The Tree in the Wood," an old nursery song adapted and illustrated by Christopher Manson (North/South Books).
This is an illustrated version of the old folk song, "The Green Grass Grew All Around . . . " and has as many different versions as singers can concoct.
The picture book is taken from the 19th century version and is a circle story beginning with a tree and ending with a babe who grows and plants another tree. While it is delightful to see this adaptation of a timeless piece, what makes this remarkable are the illustrations and the construction of the book itself. Manson created the bold designs from woodcuts hand-colored in rich earthtones. Adding to the organic format, the book was printed on chlorine-free paper. (According to the publisher, when chlorine is used to bleach paper a byproduct, dioxin, is producedthat is carcinogenic to wildlife and may also be harmful to humans.)
"The Tree in the Wood" is an artistic feat from front to back and is worthy of study from many points of view.
Trees have also served as meeting places and sites for location and identification throughout history. "A Tree in the Forest" by Jan Thornhill (Simon and Schuster) is the focal point of "an amazing community of living things."
This is the story of a maple tree beginning with the seed that attaches itself to a fallen log through 212 years of life until it becomes the haven for another seedling. The detail of animals and surrounding growth make this a rich study in the timeline of trees.
Another timeline of history is shown by Clancy Holling in "Tree in the Trail" (Houghton Mifflin), as a sapling becomes the landmark of Western treks. Ultimately the cottonwood becomes a handcarved yoke. The authenticity and accurate details by Holling add much dimension to this story.
Sheila Hamanaka illustrated Marguerite Daval's "The Heart of the Wood" (Simon and Shuster) on bark paper. The poetic text is about a sycamore tree that is felled to become a violin.
"This is the song,
So wild and free
Sung by the mockingbird
Perched in the tree
That grows in the Winderly Woods . . . "
"Song for the Ancient Forest" by Nancy Luenn and illustrated by Jill Kastner (Atheneum) is also a song about the trees. It is much like a trickster tale set in modern times for when the Raven comes to a logger's daughter with his song for saving the trees, she understands. The story is an environmentalist plea: "Without the forest, no circle of time . . . "
Saving trees is what "The Forgotten Forest" (Laurence Anholt; Sierra Club) and Jean Craighead George's "One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest" (Crowell) are all about.
Children help an old man wrap up an ancient tree and find hope through its living in "The Cherry Tree," written by Daisaku Ikeda and illistrated by Brian Wildsmith (Knopf). When Mr. Pinn's beloved tree dies from pollution in "The Hidden Jungle" (Simon Henwood; Farrar, Straus and Giroux) he takes it to a garden where there are many other plants, even though he loses the beauty of watching it grow.
Matt and his father learn to understand the old adage of "winter wood warms you twice . . . " when they go out to collect firewood in "Winter Wood," by David Spohn (Lothrop) and Jim Arnosky draws the lovable character Crinkleroot as he takes readers through the woods in "Crinkleroot's Knowing the Trees" (Bradbury), in which dozens of different kinds of trees, leaves and habitats are identified. This would be a wonderful beginning guide for tree-watchers.
Authors and artists have also taken full advantage of fantasy stories about trees. For example, in "Whisper From the Woods" by Victoria Wirth (Green Tiger Press) a seed falls and begins its growth in a deep forest. Illustrated by A. Scott Banfill, the trees take on human faces, which lend an eerie feeling to the deep forest and the dying of the old tree. The archetype of "big bad forest" may come through. Perhaps this is a book for older readers and art lovers.
Everyone will enjoy "Emily and the Golden Acorn" by Ian Beck (Simon and Schuster), in which a girl and her brother find their imaginary journey returns them from the ends of the earth only to find their favorite tree has blown over in a storm. In this, as in many others, the hope rests in planting a new tree.
Nicholas Heller's "The Tooth Tree" (Greenwillow) shows what happens when you plant a tooth in the garden instead of saving it for the tooth fairy, and "The Money Tree" by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David Small (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) points out how greedy people would be if money really did grow on trees. Both are great read-alouds that encourage readers to interact, maybe even turn the stories into drama.
- Marilou Sorensen is an associate professor of education at the University of Utah specializing in children's literature.