"WE ARE A VILLAGE
Our forest is woven
from a diversity of trees.
The oak,
the juniper,
the alder,
the aspen.
The spruce,
the maple,
the fir,
the pine,
each of us serves a purpose
in the rich fabric of life."
I am astounded by this book, and cannot wait to pass it on to a teacher friend of mine who is learning about plants and trees with her high school students. I am sure they will feel the same as I do. This perfect blend of poetry, art, and science is impressive from the first page to the last. It's almost impossible to share the depth of the learning here to explore.
Lita Judge was inspired to write about trees following an exploratory trip to find one particular tree:
"We travelled to North Wales in 2019 with the specific goal of finding an ancient yew tree named the Llangernyw Yew. The tree was once thought to be between 4000 and 5000 years old but more recent estimates are more like 2500 years old. When we found the tree, which was not easy, I sat within it, sketching. It sits in the old churchyard of Saint Digain’s Church, near 300 year old gravestones of long gone slate miners and their wives and children. Like other very old yews, the core of the tree has long decomposed, leaving only the exterior, which is literally so wide in circumference (over 36 feet) that you feel as if you’re sitting within the middle of many trees."
Current research explained in beautifully written prose is quite astonishing. It is shared on double-page spreads that include exquisitely detailed watercolor images, a poem that gives perspective, and sidebar paragraphs that extend the poem's message to readers. Is this what the trees would say if they could talk?
In fact, we learn that trees do 'talk'. Readers are told there is a Wood Wide Web that allows trees to communicate with each other, that trees counterattack when they are threatened by leaf-eating caterpillars, that they can create a climate of their own, that they can help nearby trees get enough food and that they provide a home for many creatures.
"For a long time, scientists thought trees competed
in a forest, but we now know they help one another,
even species different from themselves. Canadian
scientist Suzanne Simard discovered this when she
noticed Douglas Fir saplings weakening and dying
in a planted forest. Foresters had recently weeded
out the paper birches growing among the firs
because they thought the birches were competing
for resources. But through experiments, Simard
discovered that the birch trees had been producing
enough food for themselves and sharing it with the
young firs. Removing them had jeopardized the
firs' survival."
At this point, readers have not quite reached the middle of the book. There is so much more to learn! Explanations are accessible to middle graders, and include stories of specific trees from places all around the world. The final poem speaks to the importance of diversity, and the last line of the text reminds readers that 'trees are our planet's best defense against climate change."
Back matter comprises an author's note, further information about fungi, the longevity of trees, the trees that are in this book, the illustrations, and the secret kingdom of beech trees. Ms. Judge then continues with further notes on each of her poems, and ends with ways in which humans are destroying forests, and how readers can help them. A glossary and list of resources bring an end to a plethora of added information.
Please don't miss reading this remarkable book!
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