The Wisdom of Trees: How Trees Work Together to Form a Natural Kingdom, Written and Illustrated by Lita Judge


From The Publisher:

"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."

Text Features: 

  • Poetry
  • Hybrid text (poetry is accompanied by expository sidebars providing more information about the topic of the poem on each page)
  • Personification and shifting point of view 
Critical Literacy Suggestions:

Read & Discuss: 

  • Before reading the main text, read title and blurb. What does the word "wisdom" mean? How can trees have wisdom? Keep this question in mind as you read the book.
  • As you read, pause to discuss ways that trees help each other. 
  • Ask questions! How do trees know another tree needs help? Why do they help other trees, including those that aren't their same species? 
  • In what ways are trees like humans? For example, how do older trees help younger trees; and how do younger trees help older trees?

Write & Act: 

  • Draw a picture showing ways trees cooperate to create a natural kingdom (include trees, of course, but maybe also include fungi, insects and other living organisms). Label/write about what you learned.   
  • Go out and observe trees! Study their leaves, branches, roots, and the creatures that visit or live on them. Look around the tree. Does it live in a community? Imagine the trees roots underground and the fungi help it and its neighbors survive. 
  • Write your own poem about trees or write a letter to a tree. 
  • Learn about ways you can protect trees and help get more trees planted.  

Learn More:

Popular posts from this blog

The Welcome Chair, Written by Rosemary Wells and Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Image
Description from the publisher: "Based in part on a 100-year-old family journal, Rosemary Wells brings to life a story that the diary’s fragile pages tell. It’s the story of a wooden rocking chair handmade in about 1825 by her great-great-grandfather, an immigrant Jewish boy who made his way to America from Germany in the early 1800s. In 1807, Sam Siegbert is born in southern Germany. Sam’s favorite pastime is carpentry, much to his father’s displeasure. His mother says he has a gift from God in his hands. After moving to America, he builds a wooden chair with the word  WILLKOMMEN  on the back. The chair’s back panel was later marked with  welcome s by four generations of the family in four different languages. After the family lost track of the old chair, the author created a new life for it among new owners from other corners of the world. All the families who loved the chair came to America, escaping religious conformity, natural disasters, tyrannies, war, and supersti...
Read more

One Wish: Fatima al-Fihri and the World's Oldest University, written by M. O. Yuksel and illustrated by Mariam Quraishi

Image
  Description from the publisher: " One Wish is a picture book biography about Fatima al-Fihri, a 9th-century woman who pioneered the oldest university in the world in Fez, Morocco. Illustrated by Mariam Quraishi.  "Fatima al-Fihri loved to learn. She wanted to know everything, like how birds flew, why the sky was blue, and how flowers grew. But more than anything, she wanted a school for all, where anyone could study and become whatever they wanted, like teachers, scientists, and doctors. As she grew older, Fatima carried her one wish inside her, through good times and bad. Fueled by her faith and her determination, she worked hard to make her one wish come true. For over a thousand years, Fatima’s one wish—her school—served students and scholars from around the globe, and it continues to do so today! ​ With lyrical text by M. O. Yuksel and stunning illustrations by Mariam Quraishi, this life portrait of an extraordinary Muslim woman shows the importance of never gi...
Read more

Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments In Nature, written by Rachel Williams and illustrated by Freya Hartas

Image
  Description from the publisher: " Bestselling author Rachel Williams and illustrator Freya Hartas invite children to  Slow Down  and watch 50 nature stories that command calm and foster mindfulness. All around us, nature is working wonders. Every day, hour by hour, magical transformations happen right in front of you. But it’s not always easy to see them . . . In this beautifully illustrated collection, 50 moments in nature are paused for you to watch them in detail. Then you should go outside and explore and see what you find when you take the time to slow down. Gorgeously illustrated, this charming collection celebrates the small wonders happening all around us every day." Text Features:  Informational picture book Select poems about nature Table of Contents Two-page spread for each mindful moment story Critical Literacy Suggestions: Read & Discuss:   BEFORE reading: Read the blurb. Ask children what they think a "mindful moment" is? What are some other ...
Read more