I’m delighted to have author Maria Gianferrari back on my blog. I met her through my blog long before she published her first picture book. She always left the most thoughtful comments, usually with great children’s book suggestions to add to my post.
Over time, we became friends, purely from this blogging relationship. I learned that she, at that time, had six picture books coming out and I was so happy to be part of it. Here are some of her book lists:
Top 10 STEM Bird Books for Bird-Watching Kids
Top 10 STEM Expository Nonfiction Picture Books
Where Are the Wheelchairs in Children’s Books?
Top 10 Favorite Nature Picture Books
Animal Friendship Picture Books
Where Are the Wheelchairs in Children’s Books?
Today, we are celebrating her newest book, Be A Tree! Thanks to the generosity of Abrams Kids, we’re also giving away a copy of Be A Tree! Please see the Rafflecopter at the bottom to enter.
p.s. Here is another tree picture book!
Little Sap: The Magical Story of a Forest Family by Jan Hughes, illustrated by Ruth Hengeveld
A young sapling wants to grow big and tall like the mother tree but this takes time. Mother Tree and fungi play a protective role in the growth of trees. Their symbiotic relationship is explored in this gentle picture book. [narrative nonfiction picture book, ages 5 and up]
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Happy almost spring! It’s Earth Day soon too—the perfect time to celebrate trees with a giveaway of my latest title, Be a Tree!, a collaboration with the amazing Felicita Sala, published by Abrams Kids. You will fall in love with Felicita’s gorgeous illustrations.
Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari, illustrated by Felicity Sala
With lyrical prose, Maria and Felicity have created a celebration of the wonder of trees and how they can communicate with each other deep in the earth through their roots. Maria draws comparisons between humans and trees in our need to socialize and stand together. Majestic trees have a lot to teach us!! [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Let’s get this party started with my favorite new tree book recommendations!
16 Picture Books About Trees
Me + Tree by Alexandria Giardino, illustrated by Anna & Elena Balbusso
Alex’s book starts where The Giving Tree leaves off—with a stump, and re-imagines in touching text what it means to be seen, understood, and loved, as true friends do. [picture book, ages 6 and up]
The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom by Lita Judge
The perfect blend of poetry, layered scientific text, and beautiful art, Lita’s book explores the diverse range of trees all around the world, and how they work together to share resources and sustain each other. Trees teach us how to survive, thrive, and work together. [picture book, ages 5 and up]
The Tree in Me by Corinna Luyken
Corinna’s book is a feast for our senses: lush pink and yellow tones, full of joyful, sweeping textures and lines, showing the ways that trees are in me, and in you. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
Zonia’s Rain Forest and La selva de Zonia (Spanish Edition) by Juana Martinez-Neal
As I write this post, I have not yet read Juana’s book, but it looks lovely. I am a fan of her art, and the story sounds very touching: Zonia is Asháninka, the largest indigenous group in Peru. She loves her green and lively rainforest home, replete with sloths, anteaters, jaguars, and other creatures until one day the rainforest calls to her in a troubled voice—what will Zonia do? It’s available in both English and Spanish.
My Tree by Hope Lim, illustrated by Il Sung Na
A story of a newly arrived boy from Korea and the backyard plum tree that offers comfort, friendship, adventure, and ultimately hope. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
New autumn book alert! I’m excited to read these two new tree books releasing this fall:
September: Hello, Tree by Ana Crespo, illustrated by Dow Phumiruk
October: Trees by Tony Johnston, illustrated by Tiffany Bozic
Tony also has a lovely book that released several years ago, Sequoia, with illustrations by Wendell Minor.
Check out these recent releases:
Verlie Hutchens’ poetry book, Trees, with illustrations by Jing Jing Tsong, is a lovely meditation on all kinds of trees and their personalities.
Carrie A. Pearson’s Stretch to the Sun: From a Tiny Sprout to the Tallest Tree on Earth, illustrated by Susan Swan, is about coastal redwoods, just like the one in my author photo below! It was taken at Redwood National Park in 2011—one of the most beautiful and magical places I have ever visited.
Savor all the lush tree illustrations in this informational book, Trees: A Rooted History by Piotr Socha and Wojciech Grajkowski.
And don’t miss the inspiration for my book, The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate, and its companion book for young readers, Can You Hear the Trees Talking?: Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest, both by Peter Wohlleben. There is so much we can learn from trees!
Dr. Suzanne Simard, the forest ecologist who wrote the afterward, also has a book coming in May: Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest.
Be A Tree! Picture Book GIVEAWAY!
Thanks to the generosity of Abrams Kids, we’re giving away a copy of Be A Tree! (US residents only—sorry!). Please fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter.
Don’t forget to climb a tree—and hug it too!
Thanks for letting me gush about all things tree, Mia!
Maria Gianferrari has climbed fig trees in Italy, stood under stately coastal redwoods and twisted Torrey pines, marveled at mitten-shaped sassafras leaves, colorful coral trees, and sawtooth oak acorn nests. She lives with her family, including her dog, Maple, in a house encircled by trees.
To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
p.s. Earth Day posts:
Top 10 Earth Day Picture Books
Earth Day: No Trash Town in Japan
Happy Earth Day! Non-Fiction Books for Kids
Celebrating Earth Day with Picture Books
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.
Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.
My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
We Sing from the Heart: How the Slants® Took Their Fight for Free Speech to the Supreme Court
- ALSC Notable Children’s Book
- Orbis Pictus Recommended Book for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
- California Eureka Non-Fiction Award Honor Book
- Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner (from National Council for the Social Studies and Children’s Book Council)
- Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Massachusetts Book Award Long List
- dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award Long List
- Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Bank Street College’s The Best Children’s Books of the Year
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Thanks so much for featuring, Be a Tree!, Mia!! Every day should be Earth Day!
My favorite nature books are Maria’s.
Thanks for your support, Danielle!
I have loved trees from the start – growing up on a tree nursery, I have a special affinity for them! I’ve inventoried the fields, grafted, done budding, and all sorts of tree-mendous things! So many great books on trees!
Wow–what a cool place to grow up, Beth 🙂
Weird. I thought I replied, but I don’t see it here… such a cool place to grow up, Beth! I’m sure you had many adventures!
Now I want to know which came first: your dog’s name or the manuscript? I’m imagining a house full of pets named after picture books. (“Here, Haiku!” “Fetch, Tongue!”)
The manuscript came first, Janet. It sold in 2019, and I didn’t get my darling dog, Maple until November 2020. She is our autumn gift 🙂
Lovely list of tree books! There’s a book I haven’t read yet but have on order called Pando which is also about trees. Pando is an Aspen tree grove connected by a root system. It’s located in Utah and is one of the world’s largest and oldest living organisms. I can’t wait to read all of these wonderful books about trees!
As an elementary reading teacher, this list is exactly what I needed! Thank you and for the chance to share these stories with my students!
Love seeing all these gorgeous tree books in one place. Thank you!
Maria, you are so right; every day should be Earth Day.
You have assembled a beautiful list of books. I want to share every one.
I love Redwoods by Jason Chin among many other books about nature and trees.