2013 Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street College Tu B'Shevat is a Jewish holiday known as "New Year for Trees" or "Birthday of the Trees," a day that celebrates trees and taking care of our environment. In this story, which takes place on Tu B'Shevat, a little girl named Joni presents her favorite climbing tree with a special birthday gift.
It’s Tu B’Shevat—Jewish Arbor Day—and a diverse group of children work together to plant a tree. After digging a hole, placing the tree, filling the hole with dirt, patting the ground, and spraying the garden hose, the children celebrate by wishing the tree a happy birthday, and then look forward to when it blossoms on Tu B’Shevat the following year.
• Explains how to determine your personal tree of life depending on your date of birth and how this tree reveals your gifts, talents, and life path • Features full-color photos that capture the true spirit of the trees • Details each tree’s spiritual meaning, element family, essential qualities, healing effects, gifts and talents, and symbolism Drawing on her intimate knowledge of trees and connections to Celtic traditions, Daniela Christine Huber shares a new interpretation of the tree horoscope calendar--where 22 archetypal trees are associated with different dates throughout the year and just like birth stones or astrological signs can reveal your innate talents and unique life path. Featuring full-color photos that capture the true spirit of the trees as well as in-depth descriptions of the characteristic qualities of the tree personality types, Huber’s guide explains how to determine your personal tree of life depending on your date of birth and reveals how this tree stands by your side with its gifts and talents as a faithful friend and companion for a lifetime. The 22 trees of the calendar are Oak, Hazelnut, Rowan, Maple, Walnut, Yew, Chestnut, Ash, Hornbeam, Fig, Birch, Apple, Fir, Elm, Olive, Cypress, Poplar, Cedar, Pine, Willow, Linden, and Beech. Each tree species occurs twice in the annual cycle, except for Oak, Birch, Olive, and Beech, which are specially assigned to the equinoxes and solstices. Each tree description explores the tree’s spiritual meaning, element family, essential qualities, healing effects, gifts and talents, and symbolism. The author also includes an everlasting birthday calendar to record the birthdates of your family and friends, and she looks at the birth trees of several famous people. Showing how each of the 22 trees of the tree horoscope holds great power, Huber explains how your birth tree is the guardian of your individual potential and reveals the abilities and talents available to you in your life. Recognizing and developing the gifts that your birth tree reveals can help you dissolve entrenched habits and patterns, regain inner balance, and activate the full potential of your tree horoscope destiny.
Trees were central to Henry David Thoreau’s creativity as a writer, his work as a naturalist, his thought, and his inner life. His portraits of them were so perfect, it was as if he could see the sap flowing beneath their bark. When Thoreau wrote that the poet loves the pine tree as his own shadow in the air, he was speaking about himself. In short, he spoke their language. In this original book, Richard Higgins explores Thoreau’s deep connections to trees: his keen perception of them, the joy they gave him, the poetry he saw in them, his philosophical view of them, and how they fed his soul. His lively essays show that trees were a thread connecting all parts of Thoreau’s being—heart, mind, and spirit. Included are one hundred excerpts from Thoreau’s writings about trees, paired with over sixty of the author’s photographs. Thoreau’s words are as vivid now as they were in 1890, when an English naturalist wrote that he was unusually able to “to preserve the flashing forest colors in unfading light.” Thoreau and the Language of Trees shows that Thoreau, with uncanny foresight, believed trees were essential to the preservation of the world.
WINNER OF THE AAAS/SUBARU PRIZE FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE BOOKS BASED ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES This interactive and illustrated book for kids aged 8-10 introduces the wonderful science of the forest through outdoor activities, quizzes, fun facts, photographs, and more! Discover the secret life of trees with this nature and science book for kids: Can You Hear the Trees Talking? shares the mysteries and magic of the forest with young readers, revealing what trees feel, how they communicate, and the ways trees take care of their families. The author of The Hidden Life of Trees, Peter Wohlleben, tells kids about the forest internet, aphids who keep ants as pets, nature’s water filters, and more fascinating things that happen under the canopy. Featuring simple activities kids can try on their own, along with quizzes, photographs, and more, Can You Hear the Trees Talking? covers a range of amazing topics including: How trees talk to each other (hint: through the wood wide web!) Why trees are important in the city How trees make us healthy and strong How trees get sick, and how we can help them get better This engaging and visually stunning book encourages learning and fun as kids discover the wonder of the natural world outside their windows. "Lush full-color photos and pictures create an immersive experience and the layout facilitates engaged, delighted learning. ...this book may prompt frequent family visits to, and a new appreciation for, neighborhood trees and local forests.” —Washington Parent
Rain is falling, and these siblings know just how to enjoy it: raincoats, rubber boots, puddle jumping, swimming ducks, and wiggling worms! A thunderstorm sends the children scrambling for home and a cup of hot cocoa. Maybe it will rain again tomorrow! From the acclaimed creators of Wild One, A Good Day for Ducks is a child-centered celebration of the joy that can be found in any rainy day. Jane Whittingham's spare but sensory-laden text and Noel Tuazon's energetic and endearing illustrations are packaged in a sturdy book format with padded cover, rounded corners, and extra-heavy paper. The format is perfect for eager, little hands, while the sweet story will make even the weariest of parents nostalgic for their own puddle-jumping days.
When Grandma gives you a lemon tree, definitely don’t make a face! Care for the tree, and you might be surprised at how new things, and new ideas, bloom. “Charms from cover to cover.” —Kirkus (Starred review) “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” In this imaginative take on that popular saying, a child is surprised (and disappointed) to receive a lemon tree from Grandma for her birthday. After all, she DID ask for a new gadget! But when she follows the narrator’s careful—and funny—instructions, she discovers that the tree might be exactly what she wanted after all. This clever story, complete with a recipe for lemonade, celebrates the pleasures of patience, hard work, nature, community . . . and putting down the electronic devices just for a while.
Through the eyes of a child, we can rediscover the true meaning and hope that only Christmas can bring for the magic of the heart to open us, shake us, identify us, and transform us. An extraordinary tale told on a Christmas Tree Farm, in the vintage time of 1960, shares the touching story of Liam, a young balsam fir tree. He discovers he is lost when all hope turns to despair from losing his loved ones all around him. One night, he gets the urge of inspiration in him to hope again. After reaching out to one of the stars, he asks if he'll ever be with his family again. When he meets Abner, a friendship builds as Abner tells him the story of The Greatest Christmas Tree, in which Liam discovers who he is and the meaning of his life's purpose. In this richly illustrated tale for all ages, a tiny balsam fir discovers hope as a beautiful star opens his heart, helps him find his identity, and guides him to realize peace.
