The Wisdom of Trees
How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
With lush illustrations, poems, and accessible scientific information, The Wisdom of Trees by Lita Judge is a fascinating exploration of the hidden communities trees create to strengthen themselves and others.
We clean the air and seed the clouds, we drench the thirsty land with rain. We are like wizards.
The story of a tree is a story of community, communication, and cooperation. Although trees may seem like silent, independent organisms, they form a network buzzing with life: they talk, share food, raise their young, and offer protection. Trees thrive on diversity, learn from their ancestors, and give back to their communities. Trees not only sustain life on our planet—they can also teach us important lessons about patience, survival, and teamwork.
A New York Public Library Best Book of 2021
A New York Public Library Top Ten Book for Kids
Green Earth Book Award Longlist
An ALA SustainRT Top 10 Sustainability-Themed Children’s Books 2022
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In author-illustrator Judge's comprehensive nonfiction picture book, free verse poems from the perspective of trees occur alongside factual paragraphs of supplementary prose. The collection conveys trees' "secret language... that allows them to work together in communities," forming symbiotic relationships with fungi, insects, and animals, and "sending chemical and electrical signals, like secret codes," to benefit each other and their ecosystems. Scenes and species spotlighted from the Americas, Europe, and Asia drive home trees' global significance, as well as ecologists' assertion that trees are "our planet's best defense against climate change." Elegant watercolor and pencil illustrations in a naturalistic color palette adeptly portray flora and fauna, encouraging readers to dwell on each detail and making for an accessible, rousing resource. Back matter includes an author's note, more about fungi, the life spans of trees, and additional details about the tree species pictured. Ages 5–8.
