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Science Comics
Trees: Kings of the Forest
Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic--dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and many more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!
This volume: In Trees we follow an acorn as it learns about its future as Earth's largest, longest-living plant. Starting with the seed's germination, we learn about each stage until the tree's maturation, different types of trees, and the roles trees take on in our ecosystem.
This volume: In Trees we follow an acorn as it learns about its future as Earth's largest, longest-living plant. Starting with the seed's germination, we learn about each stage until the tree's maturation, different types of trees, and the roles trees take on in our ecosystem.
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 2018
16 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Andy Hirsch
89 books24 followersAndy Hirsch is a cartoonist living in Dallas, Texas. He is the author and artist of a stack of entries in hit series Science Comics from First Second Books, covering topics from dogs to geology to outer space. His most recent book, Good Boy, follows a mismatched boy and his dog as they overcome obstacles from bar jumps to anxiety dreams in the exciting world of canine sports. His work is consistently selected by the Junior Library Guild and has appeared on the American Library Association's Best Graphic Novels for Children reading list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
June 8, 2023
Thoughts:
I loved the characters in this book. I thought they were all so adorable!
And everything was drawn super cute!
I found the writing though was a bit complex.
I appreciated all the information being given but I found especially when you were learning about the trees in the start of this book, so many big words were being brought up and my mind went blank for a while. And it caused me to wonder what was happening anymore. I did end up getting back into the book though once all the big words weren't being brought up as much.
I liked how the acorn in this book was the one who was being educated on trees and why trees are awesome. I totally thought in the start the acorn was going to be the one doing the teaching.
I when I started understanding the book better in the end I liked it and the way it shows how insects and animals really benefit from trees.
I loved the characters in this book. I thought they were all so adorable!
And everything was drawn super cute!
I found the writing though was a bit complex.
I appreciated all the information being given but I found especially when you were learning about the trees in the start of this book, so many big words were being brought up and my mind went blank for a while. And it caused me to wonder what was happening anymore. I did end up getting back into the book though once all the big words weren't being brought up as much.
I liked how the acorn in this book was the one who was being educated on trees and why trees are awesome. I totally thought in the start the acorn was going to be the one doing the teaching.
I when I started understanding the book better in the end I liked it and the way it shows how insects and animals really benefit from trees.
December 14, 2024
This was adorable
October 6, 2021
Unfortunately, this book fails to take advantage of the comic format's particular strengths, or to work around its weaknesses. The result is a firehose of Latinate terminology plus overfilled frames that fail to illuminate the confusing dialogue. Several times, I was unable to figure out which part of a complicated picture the dialogue was discussing.
It feels like this book was created by someone who likes comics but doesn't really understand how or why the good ones work. I kept wondering whether the usual scripting & planning of each page, and each frame on each page, was done before the detailed drawing and lettering began ...
I can't say I learned anything new -- not because I knew everything in the book already, but because I couldn't make head or tails of what I didn't already know well enough to decipher the presentation.
A real shame, because a hybrid format can be very helpful to those of us trying to learn complex things. (See, for example, Human Body Theater)
It feels like this book was created by someone who likes comics but doesn't really understand how or why the good ones work. I kept wondering whether the usual scripting & planning of each page, and each frame on each page, was done before the detailed drawing and lettering began ...
I can't say I learned anything new -- not because I knew everything in the book already, but because I couldn't make head or tails of what I didn't already know well enough to decipher the presentation.
A real shame, because a hybrid format can be very helpful to those of us trying to learn complex things. (See, for example, Human Body Theater)
November 18, 2020
In my retired life, I will study botany! Very informative and up-to-date. Comic science written for children.
July 12, 2023
Recommended by my 9 year-old. I'm a fan of graphic novels I liked the illustrations, but there was a surprising amount of science in this.
May 3, 2024
The information is written in a fun way and is broken down well.
My little one enjoyed the silliness within the story and learning how trees work.
I learned more about angiosperms and gymnosperms, how trees use allelochemicals, xylem, and so much more.
The explanation of the mycorrhizal network as part of a healthy forest was especially neat. Reading about fungi facilitating communications and the sharing of nutrients between trees—it’s so cool.
I didn’t realize trees are recognized as having intelligence; “The capacity for an organism to choose an action based on awareness of its environment and past experience.”
My little one enjoyed the silliness within the story and learning how trees work.
I learned more about angiosperms and gymnosperms, how trees use allelochemicals, xylem, and so much more.
The explanation of the mycorrhizal network as part of a healthy forest was especially neat. Reading about fungi facilitating communications and the sharing of nutrients between trees—it’s so cool.
I didn’t realize trees are recognized as having intelligence; “The capacity for an organism to choose an action based on awareness of its environment and past experience.”
April 13, 2021
4.5 stars.
March 27, 2021
Perfect book to share with a grandparent.
September 1, 2018
I LOVED this book because it was very Very VERY informative. It had TONS of information in it. It was about trees! In this book an acorn explained how trees worked. The book was also very funny, like the part when the squirrel wanted to eat the acorn.
June 15, 2019
super fantastic. might be better with middle school but OMG educational and funny!
September 18, 2018
Science Comics: Trees: Kings of the Forest is what i am reading and it is the boringest book i have ever read! It seems like it says the same thing over and over again. Blah blah blah we get it trees grow in the dirt and the roots do things and the leaves change colors. For example it talks about the cells of a tree and its plants for at least 30 pages it makes me want to die. If i could i would rather read an encyclopedia at least they teach me things. I already know that the sun gives the plants life.
Also it talks forever about how animals eat plants and how the plants eat the trees and get protein and that gets broken down and so on and it talks about roots and how they can go around rocks. It's so boring and the acorn is way too energetic to he gets so hyper about the gasses in a plant the book even goes down to the cells in a leaf its so boring. I also read some of the other comments and they like it because it is so informative for example,
“I LOVED this book because it was very Very VERY informative. It had TONS of information in it. It was about trees! In this book an acorn explained how trees worked. The book was also very funny, like the part when the squirrel wanted to eat the acorn.”
-Maximilian Lee
I thought it was informative sure but it was also over informative they could of used the pages to make a good plot instead of doing dumb things. I think that the book can be 20 pages and get the point of the nook across in every detail it uses now. I truly dislike this book it is very annoying. I think i am too old for this book it teaches you things that even 5th graders know like it teaches you that the amount of rings a tree has equals the age of the tree. Like cmon now i need things that teach me things. Next time i will read a fictional book because they are actually fun to read i don't care about how short the book is it i want to read a good book this time. This is my book review on Science Comics: Trees: Kings of the Forest
Also it talks forever about how animals eat plants and how the plants eat the trees and get protein and that gets broken down and so on and it talks about roots and how they can go around rocks. It's so boring and the acorn is way too energetic to he gets so hyper about the gasses in a plant the book even goes down to the cells in a leaf its so boring. I also read some of the other comments and they like it because it is so informative for example,
“I LOVED this book because it was very Very VERY informative. It had TONS of information in it. It was about trees! In this book an acorn explained how trees worked. The book was also very funny, like the part when the squirrel wanted to eat the acorn.”
-Maximilian Lee
I thought it was informative sure but it was also over informative they could of used the pages to make a good plot instead of doing dumb things. I think that the book can be 20 pages and get the point of the nook across in every detail it uses now. I truly dislike this book it is very annoying. I think i am too old for this book it teaches you things that even 5th graders know like it teaches you that the amount of rings a tree has equals the age of the tree. Like cmon now i need things that teach me things. Next time i will read a fictional book because they are actually fun to read i don't care about how short the book is it i want to read a good book this time. This is my book review on Science Comics: Trees: Kings of the Forest
May 6, 2024
If you want a good book that has a lot of information about trees then Kings of the Forest is a good book for you. It was written by Andy Hirsch and the main characters are acorn, squirrel, frog, bird, leaf and a bug. The book is about an acorn who wakes up and gets bored and runs into a frog. The frog tells him how long trees live. He then met a leaf person who told him about tree energy. He then meets a squirrel who tells him about flowers and bees. All the animals meet up at the end and watch the tree.
____________________ spoilers ahead!!______________________________
I think it is a good book because it gives you a lot of information about trees. I also think it is a good book because the ending shows that they want to be friends with the acorn and they are being nice and kind to him. All the animals meet up and want to live with the acorn and watch it grow and live its life. Another reason I think it is a good book is because it tells you a lot of information about how long trees live and that stuff. It also says stuff like roots, energy, how long they live, how big they get and the rings on the tree. Overall Kings of the forest is a great book because it has a lot of good information that could help you learn about trees. This book is especially good for 8-11 years old because it would get their attention.
____________________ spoilers ahead!!______________________________
I think it is a good book because it gives you a lot of information about trees. I also think it is a good book because the ending shows that they want to be friends with the acorn and they are being nice and kind to him. All the animals meet up and want to live with the acorn and watch it grow and live its life. Another reason I think it is a good book is because it tells you a lot of information about how long trees live and that stuff. It also says stuff like roots, energy, how long they live, how big they get and the rings on the tree. Overall Kings of the forest is a great book because it has a lot of good information that could help you learn about trees. This book is especially good for 8-11 years old because it would get their attention.
August 18, 2018
Another volume of Science Comics presents the topic of trees. A lively acorn is educated about the importance of plants and the life of trees. A small frog, a fern leaflet, a squirrel, and a mushroom all help explain things. They show Acorn photosynthesis, the structure of plant cells, and other details. Light absorption, allelochemicals, pollination, and the spread of seeds are explained. His instructors also point out that trees are a keystone species and help with weather control, while also discussing species diversity and convergence. Several illustrations show plants as the bottom of the food pyramid and how Earth is a closed system.
This would be a great title to use in a study of plant life, food chains, adaptations and related science topics. A large glossary, a page of facts about acorns, a two-page leaf guide, and suggestions for further reading are in the back matter.
Highly recommended for middle grade readers and up. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
This would be a great title to use in a study of plant life, food chains, adaptations and related science topics. A large glossary, a page of facts about acorns, a two-page leaf guide, and suggestions for further reading are in the back matter.
Highly recommended for middle grade readers and up. I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
September 3, 2018
3.5 for this one, another terrific entry in the Science Comics series! In this graphic format, readers learn all sorts of interesting facts about trees and how they grow, survive, and even sense what's going on around them. Starting with an acorn, various animals take him and readers along a journey through forest terrain, simplifying concepts such as photosynthesis, transpiration, symbiosis, and tropism, among others, and explaining how trees reproduce. The colorful panels and easy-to-understand language make this a good choice even for elementary science classrooms while older readers like me can still learn something from reading the book. I especially enjoyed pondering the question of whether trees are plants or all plants are trees. I now have a whole new respect for trees when they start to bud in spring and when their leaves begin to fall in the autumn season. Savvy teachers will know they need to start collecting these books for their own curious students if they want to nurture a curiosity in nature.
January 25, 2018
I'll never look at trees the same way again, and I thought that I knew a lot about trees. The author covers the essential topics such as photosynthesis and reproduction but also delves into the fascinating world of tree communication and species variety. For example, did you know that a forest of trees can communicate and stay healthier via a mycorrhizal network, i.e., fungi (mushrooms) that send chemical and nutrient information between trees or that Pando is an 80,000 year-old tree that stretches out over 107 acres?
I find this series helpful in introducing and explaining difficult scientific concepts to kids in an accessible and enjoyable format. Students will see these same concepts in future biology courses. For people who are interested in hard science but want to be entertained as well, these Science Comics are for you, too.
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I find this series helpful in introducing and explaining difficult scientific concepts to kids in an accessible and enjoyable format. Students will see these same concepts in future biology courses. For people who are interested in hard science but want to be entertained as well, these Science Comics are for you, too.
I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2021
An acorn takes us on an adventure in the trees and forests where we meet the leaf and other creatures to tell us the story of the kings of the forest, trees! It builds up to the story of trees and takes a while to get there with plenty of story about the seedlings and growth which then leads to the various kinds of trees and how they grow, how they react to danger, how they protect themselves, and how fungi help the system underground to be the wood wide web that it is.
Like the others, it's an entertaining graphic novel that includes STEM education but it's a fictionalized version of events between non-human characters. It made it clear how important forests and trees are and how we need to protect them because of all they give back to the world, specifically the animals.
Brightly-colored.
Like the others, it's an entertaining graphic novel that includes STEM education but it's a fictionalized version of events between non-human characters. It made it clear how important forests and trees are and how we need to protect them because of all they give back to the world, specifically the animals.
Brightly-colored.
September 14, 2018
Sometimes kids non-fiction books can feel very “no duh” to me. You look at pictures but you don’t really learn anything. With Science Comics though, it’s amazing for both kids and adults.
The vocabulary is really advanced for kids and even uses specific scientific works that escape me. I appreciate that they use them anyway. Concepts are so easy to understand but I actually am surprised by how much I didn’t know about trees. How they operate, survive, and even identify and “spread out” to maximize their species chances of survival. How roots operate. Natural defenses to keep animals from chewing them to death. The weird anti-human page of destruction that probably deserves to be there but was awkward anyway. Yeah. Trees, son.
The vocabulary is really advanced for kids and even uses specific scientific works that escape me. I appreciate that they use them anyway. Concepts are so easy to understand but I actually am surprised by how much I didn’t know about trees. How they operate, survive, and even identify and “spread out” to maximize their species chances of survival. How roots operate. Natural defenses to keep animals from chewing them to death. The weird anti-human page of destruction that probably deserves to be there but was awkward anyway. Yeah. Trees, son.
January 7, 2018
The type of book that would’ve kept me interested in science as a kid, filled with amazing illustrations and so much detail.
Narrated by a plucky little acorn who comes upon some forest friends (frog, termite, squirrel, woodpecker) there’s plenty of brain wrinkles to be made: plants sensing gravity with root growth, auxin, monocots, mycorrhizal networks, and tree communication?! (Made me think of the Wish Tree by Applegate).
As the entomologist noted in the intro: trees do so much more than just stand there. After reading this, I walked out to observe trees with a new appreciation.
Keep the Science Comics series coming, they’re great for adults too!
Narrated by a plucky little acorn who comes upon some forest friends (frog, termite, squirrel, woodpecker) there’s plenty of brain wrinkles to be made: plants sensing gravity with root growth, auxin, monocots, mycorrhizal networks, and tree communication?! (Made me think of the Wish Tree by Applegate).
As the entomologist noted in the intro: trees do so much more than just stand there. After reading this, I walked out to observe trees with a new appreciation.
Keep the Science Comics series coming, they’re great for adults too!
August 17, 2018
I know so much more about trees that I never knew! I mean, trees do so much I just never thought about before! And they're so diverse! Also, Squirrel was my favorite narrator character and I do hope he finds some nuts to eat soon :-)
My only little complaint is that there were some very difficult science words in this one that younger readers especially (but even myself!) would benefit from having the pronunciation list too. Even if it was just in the back glossary, that would've been helpful!
My only little complaint is that there were some very difficult science words in this one that younger readers especially (but even myself!) would benefit from having the pronunciation list too. Even if it was just in the back glossary, that would've been helpful!
January 18, 2018
I received a copy of this book from #netgalley to preview.
This Science Comic series is one of my favorite recently released non-fiction graphic novel series. They are fun to read, full of information, and the art and coloring is really well done.
There was so much information in Trees that I had no clue about and this made it a really interesting read. This is one that I would highly recommend and would stock in my library.
This Science Comic series is one of my favorite recently released non-fiction graphic novel series. They are fun to read, full of information, and the art and coloring is really well done.
There was so much information in Trees that I had no clue about and this made it a really interesting read. This is one that I would highly recommend and would stock in my library.
April 9, 2019
Great book! It explains everything about plants and trees and how they fit into the ecosystem. I learned some things that I didn't even know. I think they have figured out a bunch of new things since I took Botany in college. :) The characters are silly, but they don't talk down to the reader too much and there are humorous moments to break up all the exposition. I am definitely adding this one to my classroom library!
November 21, 2019
Tons of awesome information with detailed graphics, but a very difficult read! I will say it finally found a rhythm and picked up a bit about half way through. I Would consider using as a resource in my classroom during related units but could never use this as a read aloud. I couldn't pronounce most of the words on the first try so I feel that this would be a discouraging book for independent reading.
March 13, 2021
Trees: Kings of the Forest offers a highly enjoyable introduction to the biology of trees. The protagonist of the narrative is an adorable anthropomorphic acorn who is guided on a journey of scientific enlightenment by various other forest denizens. Pleasantly colorful artwork illustrates the concepts that are explained along the way.
This worthwhile graphic novel is best suited for adolescents ages ten and up, although adults will also find it to be quite entertaining and informative.
This worthwhile graphic novel is best suited for adolescents ages ten and up, although adults will also find it to be quite entertaining and informative.
October 16, 2018
I enjoy this graphic novel series because it takes a deep look at something as common as trees and explains it scientifically with pictures so that someone as unscientific as me can understand. I've enjoyed the Science Comics on dogs and coral reefs as well (the robot one wasn't my favorite). They are best understood by middle or high school age and older.
August 9, 2019
This is a great non fiction series for kids. The characters help give the information clarification as well as purpose, and the graphic format makes complex subjects easier to visualize for younger learners. I read it with my 6 year old, and her biggest "wow!" moment was seeing how big the fungal and rrot network could be. Great addition to children's publishing!
May 15, 2020
Exciting, informative, and brilliant! I loved this look at trees and the broad science of them! The illustrations and story line (acorn isn't sure if he wants to become a tree) make this book an absolute pleasure to read. Science can actually be fun! I especially liked the note from the author and glossary of terms used in the book at the end.
December 9, 2020
I really enjoy these books and feel like I learn a lot. I read this to my two oldest sons when we were studying botany, just as we had read the one on coral reefs when we were studying marine biology. I especially loved the part about the underground fungal network connecting trees. This blew my mind!
March 4, 2021
Fantastic, fantastic book about trees that everyone should read, not just kids! This book has lots of humor that even little ones get. The drawings are simple and clear and every time after we read a few pages we went out into nature with more wonder and respect. Highly recommend this book to everyone, kids and grownups alike!
March 22, 2021
I didn't love this one. It turns out that this was just more information about the biology of trees than I really wanted in my life. It also features one of my least favorite framing devices in Science Comics, multiple narrators. But it is very informative, and it goes beyond just the general biology of a tree to how they interact with their climates, animals, other plants, and even other trees.
March 3, 2024
This was a really cute comic book all about trees. I read this with my daughter when she was in elementary school and it was really fun to look at the pictures and absorb the knowledge. We went on to check out a couple more of these books from the library and I love that years later she still remembers some of the information we learned from this cool series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews