This list was compiled to coincide with National Tree Day which falls in July each year. This is an extensive list of books that offer a rich insight into the topic of trees for children. For easier browsing, the list is broken into four sections:
- Board books
- Life and adventures within trees
- The growth and cycle of a tree
- Trees as special friends
May these stimulating books provide rich inspiration for you to explore and celebrate trees and nature with your children.
If you’ve read any of these books yourself I’d love for you to leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
This Tree, 1,2,3
Alison Formento and Sarah Snow
ISBN:978-0807578919
Format: Board book
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, March 2011
This is an abridged version of This Tree Counts, making it perfect for younger readers. (See This Tree Counts below).
Suitable for ages 1+ (★★★★★)
In My Forest
Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich
ISBN:978-0811875660
Format: Board book
Publisher: Chronicle Books, October 2010
This is an ideal book for babies and toddlers. It is a textural-looking board book with an attached deer finger puppet. The die-cut pages in the centre of each page create the illusion of a deep, but colourful forest. On each page the deer shares with the readers what he can see in his forest: snowflakes, twigs, acorns and other creatures.
Suitable for ages 0+ (★★★★)In My Tree
Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich
ISBN:978-0811870528
Format: Board book
Publisher: Chronicle Books, September 2009
As with In My Forest, this book is a board book with die cut pages and an attached owl finger puppet. In My Tree reveals what a little owl likes most about his home, from his sturdy branch to his cozy roost.
Suitable for ages 0+ (★★★★)
The Lorax
Dr. Seuss
ISBN:978-0007326181
Format: Board book
Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens, October 2009
A board book version of the classic tale. See The Lorax below for a description.
Suitable for ages 3+ (★★★★)
One Tree (Green Start)
Leslie Bockol
ISBN:978-1584768111
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Innovative Kids, April 2009
Printed on 98% recycled paper and with uber-cute illustrations, this book follows the life of a tree through the seasons, and chronicles the changes that take place. It includes a parent information page with 11 handy hints for your home that will help to help save trees.
Suitable for ages 1+ (★★★)
Life and Adventures within a Tree
Stuck
Oliver Jeffers
ISBN:978-0007263868
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books, September 2011
Stuck isn’t so much about the life of a tree. However, I couldn’t resist adding it to the list because I think we’ve all experienced having something stuck in a tree.
It is a book that will have you laughing out loud as Floyd tries everything to get his kite out of the tree. You won’t believe what lengths he goes to (think a ladder, a pot of paint, the kitchen sink, an orang-utan and a whale), and just when you think Floyd has the problem solved Oliver Jeffers surprises you again.
Suitable for ages 3+ (★★★★★)
My Little World
Julia Cooke and Marjorie Crosby-Fairall
ISBN:978-1862917903
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Omnibus Books (Scholastic), 01 April 2011
This book isn’t so much about trees and forests but the animals and creatures that live within them. My Little World is set on Black Mountain in Canberra, a dry Eucalypt woodland. The story is told by a young child who is too small to see what her older brother and Gran can see on their walks. Instead, she notices the little things that many people might miss like “wavy feeler-things” or “antennae just like feathers”. It is jam-packed with rich text, information, and detailed illustrations.
Suitable for ages 4+ (★★★★★)
Celebritrees: Historic and Famous Trees of the World
Margi Preus and Rebecca Gibbon
ISBN:978-0805078299
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, March 2011
Publisher’s description: Some trees have lived many lifetimes, standing as silent witnesses to history. Some are remarkable for their age and stature; others for their usefulness. A bristlecone pine tree in California has outlived man by almost 4,000 years; a baobab tree in Australia served as a prison for Aboriginal prisoners at the turn of the twentieth century; and a major oak in England was used as a hiding place for Robin Hood and his men (or so the story goes…).
The fourteen trees in this book have earned the title “Celebritrees” for their global fame and significance. Both in fact and in legend, these fascinating trees remind us not only how much pleasure trees bring, but what they can tell us about history.
Suitable for ages 5+ (unrated)
This Tree Counts!
Alison Formento and Sarah Snow
ISBN:978-0807578902
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, February 2010
This is a counting book but the title of this book is a play on words symbolising the importance of trees. The bright, vivid, retro-style illustrations make this book very fascinating.
A class of students is preparing to plant some trees but before they do, the teacher tells the children to listen to the story the old tree has to tell. Told in numbers, the tree’s stories are about the creatures that inhabit it. The children learn the lesson that trees have a history and a story and need to be cared for.
Suitable for ages 3+ (★★★★★)The Magic Faraway Tree
Enid Blyton
ISBN:978-1405230285
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Egmont Books Ltd, May 2007
Do you remember the adventures of the Magic Faraway Tree from your childhood? Introduce this generation to Jo, Bessie, Fanny and Rick; a group of children who love to explore nature, have wild imaginations, meet some extraordinary characters and visit fun places like the Land of Do-As-You-Please.
Suitable for ages 6+ (★★★★)Last Tree
Mark Wilson
ISBN:978-0734409867
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Lothian Children’s Books, March 2007
Set in Victoria, this is a story about the life of a giant eucalyptus tree, the people and creatures for whom it provides food and shelter, and the bushfires and storms it withstands. The images in the backgrounds of the pages provide us with clues that the environment is changing and then the creatures stop visiting the tree and the flowers dry up. With hope, the last seed travels in the wind to a new place and falls to the earth. With sunshine, the seedling grows to be tall and strong, “just like the old tree”. The author includes a note at the end of the book about the effect of human habitat destruction.
Suitable for ages 3+ (★★★)
The Nickle Nackle Tree
Lynley Dodd
ISBN:978-0141501307
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin Books, January 2007
In true Lynley Dodd style, this book is full of bright colours and lively language. It is actually a counting book about the “jumbly jam of birds” that live within this overloaded Nickle Nackle Tree from tittle-tattle birds to pink Fandango birds.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★)
Leaf Litter
Rachel Tonkin
ISBN:978-0207198229
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins (Australia) Children’s, April 2006
Publisher’s description: Leaves, twigs, branches and bark collect on the ground in forests all over the world. We call it leaf litter. In this exquisitely illustrated book, Rachel Tonkin explores a small patch of leaf litter beneath one tree, which contains a hidden world that changes day by day. The more you look, the more amazing things you will find.
Suitable for ages 4+ (★★★★★)
Leaf Man
Lois Ehlert
ISBN:978-0152053048
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books, September 2005
A clever book that uses leaves to create the images told in the story. A leaf man goes on his travels and along the way meets the likes of fish, birds, butterflies, and turkeys. A leaf identification page is included at the end of the story.
Suitable for ages 3+ (★★★★★)Too Many Monkeys
Author: Margaret WildIllustrator: Sally RippinISBN: 9781862915619
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, 2004
A remarkable story apt for read-aloud fun by award-winning author, Too Many Monkeys is an eloquent story about a nuclear family of 5 monkeys – Dad, Mum, Eenie, Meenie and baby Bo, living in a tree in the forest that’s a nice snuggly fit for their amicable family.
But the arrival of a surprise with a knock knock on the trunk of the tree sets off the chain of events that has them moving from tree to tree in search of the perfect one to accommodate them all.
Suitable for ages: 3+ (★★★★★)
The Pear in the Pear Tree
Pamela Allen
ISBN:978-0140564976
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin Books, September 2001
While John and Jane were out walking, they notice a juicy pear and begin a quest to pick it from the tree. The story is amusing as we read about their various attempts to reach the pear and the humorous things that go wrong along the way.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★)
Saving our Trees
The Magnificent Tree
Author: Nick Bland
Illustrator: Stephen Michael King
ISBN: 9781742832951
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Scholastic Press, July 2012
Together, Bonny and Pop decide they need to create a tree so the birds will stay and play. Bonny takes on a natural and traditional approach to growing a tree, while Pop tinkers with some new ideas to create his invention.
Good things come to those who wait and, after a whole year of hard work, Bonny and Pop are ready to reveal their creations- just in time for the birds to return. Just like Pop and Bonny, their trees are very different. Pop’s tree is big and brilliant, which invites play, exploration and adventure. Bonny’s tree is simple and beautiful, and makes a perfect home for the birds.
Suitable for ages: 4+ (★★★★★)
Tanglewood
Margaret Wild
Illustrator: Vivienne Goodman
ISBN: 978-1862915701
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Omnibus Books (Scholastic)
Published: Australia, April 2012
Tanglewood is an incredibly precious story that reinforces our inability to live without family. It is about a single tree that stands alone on a remote island wishing for company and wondering whether it was possible to die of loneliness.
For a short time, the tree enjoys the company of a seagull until the seagull returns to his own family. Understanding the importance of family to one’s health and happiness, the seagull eventually returns with some tanglewood seeds so the tree can have a family of its own to keep him company.
Out of interest, this book took 7 years to make- WOW! It is easy to see why. The illustrations are so emotive and life-like.
Suitable for ages 4+ (★★★★★)
Lone Pine
Authors: Susie Brown and Margaret Warner
Illustrator: Sebastian Ciaffaclione
ISBN: 978-1921541346
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Little Hare (Hardie Grant Egmont), April 2012
Lone Pine touches on the battle and the loss of lives, but its main focus is to show how a pine tree and its scattered pine cones have connected families, generations and nations through memorial and remembrance.
Suitable for ages: 6+ (★★★★★)
Last Tree in the City
Peter Carnavas
ISBN:978-1921042218
Format: Hardback
Publisher: New Frontier Pty Ltd, September 2010
A simple but emotive story about the power of one boy who makes a difference in a city that is full of concrete and void of colour. Edward’s passion and appreciation for trees become infectious and bring the city back to life.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★★)The Curious Garden
Peter Brown
ISBN:978-0316015479
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, April 2009
Liam lived in a city with no trees or garden of any kind, or so he thought. As a curious little boy, he explored the city and found a little patch of plant life along a derelict train line. This is definitely a picture book that speaks a thousand words. Through the spectacular and captivating illustrations, we watch Liam water, prune and sing to the plants and eventually his community co-operates. The little garden he was curious about takes over the city and community. We read on the back page that an old elevated railway in Manhattan was Brown’s inspiration for this story.
Suitable for ages 3+ (★★★★★)The Lorax
Dr. Seuss
ISBN:978-0007305827
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers, April 2009
This well-known classic was first published in 1972, but the message is highly relevant today. It is a common story of a greedy human who discovers the resource of trees but misunderstands its recipe for replenishment. There is always an ambassador who “speaks for the trees”, and in this case, it is The Lorax. He pesters the Once-ler about the trees, the environment and the creatures, but the Once-ler doesn’t heed the warnings. Instead, he invents ways to increase volume and speed until greed is cut short in its tracks and the last tree is gone. The story ends with a young boy and a seed, and hope that a new forest can be planted.
Suitable for ages 6+ (★★★★)
Belonging
Jeannie Baker
ISBN:978-1406305487
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, June 2008
Publisher’s description: As in the author’s previous picture book, Window, this book is observed through the window of a house in a typical urban neighbourhood, each picture showing a year’s developments. This is a Window in reverse, with the land being reclaimed from built-up concrete to a gradual greening.
Suitable for ages 3+ (★★★★★)
The Tree
Bob Darroch
ISBN:978-0143503569
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Puffin, 2008
This story is set in New Zealand and tells the story of a forest giant who is witness to the many changes that humans make to the landscape around it. Before the tree is cut down, an old man and his grandson find a small seedling at the base of the tree and find a safe spot to plant it, in the hope that it can continue the life of the giant. The tree sits in the same place on each page of the book. The scenes around the tree change dramatically and there are also changes within the tree to spot too.
Suitable for ages 3+ (★★)
Toby and the Secrets of the Tree
Timothee De Fombelle and Francois Place
ISBN:978-0763646554
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA), August 2010
Publisher’s Description: In the sequel to Toby Alone, Toby’s world is under greater threat than ever before. A giant crater has been dug right into the centre of the Tree, moss and lichen invade the branches, and one tyrant controls it all.
Suitable for ages 9+ (unrated)
Toby Alone
Timothee de Fombelle and Francois Place
ISBN:978-1406307269
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Walker, June 2009
Publisher’s Description: An award-winning adventure with a powerful ecological message set in a captivating miniature world. Toby is just one and a half millimetres tall, and he’s the most wanted person in his world, the great oak Tree. When Toby’s father makes a ground-breaking discovery, he realises that exploiting it could do damage to their world.
Suitable for ages 9+ (unrated)
The Growth and Cycle of a Tree
A Child’s Garden: A Story of Hope
Michael Foreman
ISBN:978-1406325881
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd, May 2010
This is a touching story where a vine is a symbol of hope for a young boy. The story begins with a black and white illustration of a boy amongst war-torn rubble, where he spots a tiny green seedling. Against the odds he cares for the seedling until it provides a place for shade and play for the children. Despite numerous other setbacks, the vine continues to grow and the boy dreams of walking into the prohibited hills once more.
Suitable for ages 4+ (★★★★)
Leaf
Stephen Michael King
ISBN:978-1741696776
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Scholastic Australia, April 2010
Leaf is a nearly wordless book, where the illustrations are supported by sound effects. Leaf demonstrates that the growth of a plant is also an analogy for the growth of ideas. Both grow with imagination, care, love and enthusiasm.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★)
The Tiny Seed
Eric Carle
ISBN:978-1847386229
Format: Other book format
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s, October 2009
This is another classic story from Eric Carle. We follow the life cycle and adventures of a little seed as it floats across the sky, drops to the ground and grows into a flower.
Suitable for ages 4+ (★★★★)
Little Seed
Gav Barbey
ISBN:978-1405038430
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Macmillan Australia, August 2008
This is a unique book created by artist Gav Barbey by hand pouring high gloss polymer paint onto cotton rag paper. He has successfully and beautifully showcased a selection of trees from around the world including the Joshua Tree, the Cherry Blossom Tree, the Baobab Tree, the Olive Tree, the Cedar of Lebanon and the Wattle Tree. He gives these trees a voice, a personality and emotion as they guide a little seed on its special journey to a place where it will be able to call home. The Joshua Tree laughs, the Cherry Blossom Tree whispers with care and the Olive Tree shares.
The final double-page spread includes an annotated map of the world, indicating where each tree originates and includes special information about their features and life cycles.
Suitable for ages 2+ (★★★★)
The Little Yellow Leaf
Carin Berger
ISBN:978-0061452239
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, September 2008 (harpercollins)
Losing leaves is part of the cycle for deciduous trees but this little yellow leaf is not ready to let go from the tree when her time comes. She finally finds a friend and they let go together. With the use of minimalist illustrations in rich autumn colours, this charming story is perfect for children anxious about an upcoming event.
Suitable for ages 3+ (★★★★)
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
Lois Ehlert
ISBN:978-0152661977
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books, September 1991
Publisher’s Description: Lois Ehlert uses a 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.
Suitable for ages 4+ (unrated)
Trees as Special Friends
Tess’s Tree
Jess M. Brallier and Peter H. Reynolds
ISBN:978-0061687525
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperCollins, August 2009
This story celebrates the joy that trees bring children and the fond memories they provide adults. Tess’s Tree is a place to play, a place to hide, a place to meet someone special, a place to carve your name. You’d think that once the tree was deemed dangerous and cut down it would cease to be a place, but that’s not so. Little Tess, distraught by her loss, overcomes her anger and brings her community together to celebrate the tree’s life and to re-live their own memories. The tree will always have a place in their hearts.
Suitable for ages 3+ (★★★★)
A Tree for Emmy
Mary Ann Rodman and Tatjana Mai-Wyss
ISBN:978-1561454754
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers, March 2009
This is a lovely story about beauty being in the eye of the beholder and that beauty for children comes from joy and adventures not from status, reputation or origin. Emmy loves trees of all shapes and sizes but the tree she loves most is the Mimosa Tree, just like the one in her Grandma’s yard. She swings from it, she wears its flowers as jewellery, and she shakes the seedpods like maracas. She asks for her own Mimosa Tree but to her disappointment, she discovers that wild trees can’t be bought from shops. Eventually, she finds a seedling to plant in her yard. She learns that with patience and care she will one day have a Mimosa Tree like her Grandma’s.
Suitable for ages 4+ (★★★)
