The Little Yellow Leaf
Berger, Carin
2008
J PIC BER
As all the other leaves float off and fly past, Little Yellow Leaf thinks, “I’m not ready yet.” As the seasons change all around, Little Yellow Leaf holds on to the tree. Still not ready. Will Little Yellow Leaf ever be ready? This is a story for anyone who has ever been afraid of facing the unknown–and a celebration of the friends who help us take the leap.
The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest
Cherry, Lynne
1990
J PIC CHE
One day, a man exhausts himself trying to chop down a giant kapok tree. While he sleeps, the forest’s residents, including a child from the Yanomamo tribe, whisper in his ear about the importance of trees and how “all living things depend on one another.”
Clarice Bean: What Planet Are You From?
Child, Lauren
2010
J PIC CHI
Clarice Bean needs a science project or she’s in BIG trouble. Her brother Kurt just wants to save the planet. And now they’re both up a tree. For a project on the environment, her brain leaps to the holes in the sky from her sister’s hairspray and the nature safari in her brother’s bedroom. But when a big neighborhood tree is about to be chopped to pieces, she has no choice but to join her quirky family in its branches and save the day.
Redwoods
Chin, Jason
2009
J 582.16 C44
An ordinary train ride becomes an extraordinary trip to the great ancient forests A subway trip is transformed when a young boy happens upon a book about redwood forests. As he reads the information unfolds, and with each new bit of knowledge, he travels–all the way to California to climb into the Redwood canopy.
The Promise
Davies, Nicola
2014
J PIC DAV
On a mean street in a mean, broken city, a young girl tries to snatch an old woman’s bag. But the frail old woman, holding on with the strength of heroes, says the thief can’t have it without giving something in return: the promise. It is the beginning of a journey that will change the thieving girl’s life — and a chance to change the world, for good.
The Empty Pot
Demi
1990
J 398.20951 D39 PIC
When the Chinese emperor proclaims that his successor will be the child who grows the most beautiful flowers from the seeds the emperor distributes, Ping is overjoyed. Like the emperor, he loves flowers and anything he plants bursts into bloom. But the emperor’s seed will not grow, despite months of loving care, and Ping goes before the emperor carrying only his empty pot.
Leaf Man
Ehlert, Lois
2005
J PIC EHL
Fall has come, the wind is gusting, and Leaf Man is on the move. Is he drifting east, over the marsh and ducks and geese? Or is he heading west, above the orchards, prairie meadows, and spotted cows? No one’s quite sure, but this much is certain: A Leaf Man’s got to go where the wind blows.
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
Ehlert, Lois
1991
J PIC EHL
Lois Ehlert uses watercolor collage and pieces of actual seeds, fabric, wire, and roots in this innovative and rich introduction to the life of a tree. A special glossary explains how roots absorb nutrients, what photosynthesis is, how sap circulates, and other facts about trees.
Poetrees
Florian, Douglas
2010
J 811 F66
Seeds are sprouting, roots are spreading, and branches are swaying in this tree -mendous poetry collection. From coconut palms and bristlecone pines to baobabs and banyans, Douglas Florian explores the arboreal world with his signature wit and whimsy.
This Tree Counts!
Formento, Alison
2010
J PIC FOR
If you listen carefully to the lone tree behind Oak Lane School, it has a story to tell, about… one owl, two spiders, three squirrels, four robins, five caterpillars, six ants, seven crickets, eight flies, nine ladybugs, and ten earthworms, all living safe and free in their tree home. What does this tree need? The children know-it needs friends.
Cactus Hotel
Guiberson, Brenda Z.
1991
J 577.54 G94
It is another hot day in the desert. Birds and other animals scurry about looking for food. When they get tired they stop to rest at a giant cactus. It is their hotel in the desert! This story–about a desert, a giant cactus, and the animals who live in it–is one that even the youngest child will understand and enjoy.
The Apple Pie Tree
Hall, Zoe
1996
J 583 H14 PIC
Two sisters rejoice as the colorful blossoms on their tree develop into big, red, and ready-to-pick apples. This concept book about how things grow includes an easy recipe for apple pie.
The Tree Lady: The true story of how one tree-loving woman changed a city forever
Hopkins, H. Joseph
2013
J B SESSIONS
Unearth the true story of green-thumbed pioneer and activist Kate Sessions, who helped San Diego grow from a dry desert town into a lush, leafy city known for its gorgeous parks and gardens. This trailblazing young woman singlehandedly started a massive movement that transformed the town into the green, garden-filled oasis it is today. Now, more than 100 years after Kate first arrived in San Diego, her gorgeous gardens and parks can be found all over the city.
The Great Paper Caper
Jeffers, Oliver
2009
J PIC JEF
The animals’ homes are disappearing. Tree by tree, the forest is being cut down. Clues There must be clues. For instance, look–there is a mysterious bear carrying an ax. But what would a bear want with so many trees? Perhaps the discarded paper airplanes littering the forest floor have a story to tell?
Stuck
Jeffers, Oliver
2011
J PIC JEF
When Floyd’s kite gets stuck in a tree, he’s determined to get it out. But how? Well, by knocking it down with his shoe, of course. But strangely enough, it too gets stuck. And the only logical course of action . . . is to throw his other shoe. Only now it’s stuck! Surely there must be something he can use to get his kite unstuck. An orangutan? A boat? His front door? Yes, yes, and yes. And that’s only the beginning.
Sequoia
Johnston, Tony
2014
J 811 J64
Standing tall above the tree line, Sequoia stretches his ancient arms and gathers clouds to him. He watches as days, seasons, years pass by. His branches are home to owls and choirs of frogs. Beneath his broad canopy, a world grows. This is his story. Through controlled verse and luscious illustration, Tony Johnston and Wendell Minor do justice to the enormous figure of the sequoia tree.
Out of the Way! Out of the Way!
Krishnaswami, Uma
2012
J PIC KRI
A young boy spots a baby tree growing in the middle of a dusty path in his village. He carefully places rocks around it as the local mango seller rushes past shouting, “Out of the way! Out of the way!” As the tree grows bigger, people and animals traverse the path until it becomes a lane, flowing like a river around the tree. Over time, the city traffic continues to rattle past, noisier and busier than ever, but sometimes the great tree works its magic, and people just stop, and listen.
Maple
Nichols, Lori
2014
J PIC NIC
When Maple is tiny, her parents plant a maple tree in her honor. She and her tree grow up together, and even though a tree doesn’t always make an ideal playmate, it doesn’t mind when Maple is in the mood to be loud – which is often. Then Maple becomes a big sister, and finds that babies have their loud days, too. Fortunately, Maple and her beloved tree know just what the baby needs.
Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai
Nivola, Claire A.
2008
J B MAATHAI
Wangari Maathai, winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize and founder of the Green Belt Movement, grew up in the highlands of Kenya, where fig trees cloaked the hills, fish filled the streams, and the people tended their bountiful gardens. But over many years, as more and more land was cleared, Kenya was transformed. When Wangari returned home from college in America, she found the village gardens dry, the people malnourished, and the trees gone. How could she alone bring back the trees and restore the gardens and the people?
A Tree for Emmy
Rodman, Mary Ann
2009
J PIC ROD
Emmy loves the mimosa tree that grows in her grandmother’s pasture. But when Emmy decides she wants a mimosa tree of her own for her birthday, she is dismayed to find that many grown-ups do not share her enthusiasm. Garden stores only sell ornamental trees like plum or pear or tulip trees. Emmy is crushed–until she discovers that the answer to her problem is growing right before her eyes!
The Giving Tree
Silverstein, Shel
1964
J EASY SIL
The Giving Tree, a story of unforgettable perception, beautifully written and illustrated by the gifted and versatile Shel Silverstein, has been a classic favorite for generations. Since it was first published fifty years ago, Shel Silverstein’s poignant picture book for readers of all ages has offered a touching interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another’s capacity to love in return.
The Lorax
Seuss, Dr.
1971
J PIC SEU
Long before “going green” was mainstream, Dr. Seuss’s Lorax spoke for the trees and warned of the dangers of disrespecting the environment. In this cautionary rhyming tale, we learn of the Once-ler, who came across a valley of Truffula Trees and Brown Bar-ba-loots, and how his harvesting of the tufted trees changed the landscape forever.
A Tree is Nice
Udry, Janice May
1956
J PIC UDR
Even one tree is nice, if it is the only one you happen to have. Some of the reasons why trees are so good to have around are funny. Some are indisputable facts. But in all of them there is a sense of poetic simplicity and beauty.