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Survivor Tree
Survivor Tree is a picture book by Marcie Colleen and illustrated by Aaron Becker. It tells the true story of the Callery pear tree that stood at the base of the World Trade Center for 30 years and was almost destroyed, only to be pulled from the rubble, coaxed back to life, and eventually replanted as part of the 9/11 memorial.
42 pages, Hardcover
First published August 31, 2021
1 person is currently reading
687 people want to read
About the author
Marcie Colleen
33 books49 followersMarcie Colleen is the author of numerous books for children, among them Love, Triangle; Penguinaut!; The Bear's Garden; and the Super Happy Party Bears chapter book series. Forever a New Yorker, she now lives in San Diego, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
December 6, 2021
This is what this particular rabbit hole looks like: I read this book because I was reading several possible Caldecott nominee picture books for 2021 and noticed that there are more than a few picture books (and other books) out there about the importance of trees to our species’ survival. So I picked up a few of these books. I won’t review all of them, but this one interested me because it was illustrated by much-awarded picture book author Aaron Becker. And this one is less about trees than the symbolism of one Callery pear tree and survival. Then I found that this tree has already been the topic of several picture books.
In Survivor Tree, the journey of the Callery pear tree rescued from Ground Zero and replanted ten years later is told in a fairly straightforward manner. Some of it was removed from the rubble, was revived in the Bronx and replanted in the Twin Towers location for the ten year anniversary. And tears. Today it thrives there as a simple of resilience and hope and survival.
It is a powerful story, but I would have preferred the story be told in Becker’s images alone, wordless, as some of his books are drawn, and in the style of that gorgeous cover (the style of the art in the book is a little sketchier, more intimate, a bit more childlike). I review this a couple months after the twentieth anniversary of 9/11.
One wordless one I like a lot is Branches of Hope: The 9/11 Survivor Tree. I think you don’t need many words, if any at all, to tell this story; it’s all about symbolism. The story follows a girl and her firefighter uncle who is a 9/11 hero. What I learned from this book in the author’s notes is that limbs from this survivor tree have been sent to other locations that have had their own tragedies. Cool?
I picked up these titles from the Goodreads algorithm and other Goodreads readers, thanks. Another one is author/illustrator Sean Rubin's This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth. Another one is in Cheryl Somers Aubin and Sheila Harrington's The Survivor Tree: Inspired by a True Story And there are others!
So trees are often planted in memoriam for people or events. After the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995, a small elm tree survived the wreckage, eventually going on to thrive, and to be christened "the survivor tree" as well. Then there is The Peace Tree from Hiroshima: The Little Bonsai with a Big Story, by Sandra Moore, illustrated by Kazumi Wilds.
Simple power in the image alone. If you visit the memorial, as now millions have, many things will move you, but this tree is one powerful part of that place.
In Survivor Tree, the journey of the Callery pear tree rescued from Ground Zero and replanted ten years later is told in a fairly straightforward manner. Some of it was removed from the rubble, was revived in the Bronx and replanted in the Twin Towers location for the ten year anniversary. And tears. Today it thrives there as a simple of resilience and hope and survival.
It is a powerful story, but I would have preferred the story be told in Becker’s images alone, wordless, as some of his books are drawn, and in the style of that gorgeous cover (the style of the art in the book is a little sketchier, more intimate, a bit more childlike). I review this a couple months after the twentieth anniversary of 9/11.
One wordless one I like a lot is Branches of Hope: The 9/11 Survivor Tree. I think you don’t need many words, if any at all, to tell this story; it’s all about symbolism. The story follows a girl and her firefighter uncle who is a 9/11 hero. What I learned from this book in the author’s notes is that limbs from this survivor tree have been sent to other locations that have had their own tragedies. Cool?
I picked up these titles from the Goodreads algorithm and other Goodreads readers, thanks. Another one is author/illustrator Sean Rubin's This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth. Another one is in Cheryl Somers Aubin and Sheila Harrington's The Survivor Tree: Inspired by a True Story And there are others!
So trees are often planted in memoriam for people or events. After the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995, a small elm tree survived the wreckage, eventually going on to thrive, and to be christened "the survivor tree" as well. Then there is The Peace Tree from Hiroshima: The Little Bonsai with a Big Story, by Sandra Moore, illustrated by Kazumi Wilds.
Simple power in the image alone. If you visit the memorial, as now millions have, many things will move you, but this tree is one powerful part of that place.
October 14, 2023
Author/illustrator team Marcie Colleen and Aaron Becker team up to tell the story of the Callery pear tree which survived the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11 in this deeply moving picture book. The spare text focuses on the seasonal life of the tree—the white of spring blossoms, green of summer leaves, red of fall foliage, and bare limbs of winter—the cataclysmic interruption of that life the day it was buried in steel and rubble from the collapsed towers, and the slow healing process after it was removed to a nursery in the Bronx. The beautiful watercolor artwork depicts all of this, while also capturing a parallel story of a young boy, photographed in front of the tree in happier times, and then visiting it, and the 9/11 Memorial, as an adult with his own child...
Survivor Tree is an immensely poignant and powerful book, and I found myself close to tears on more than one occasion, while reading it. The text is minimal but emotionally resonant, and the artwork beautiful. The book was published in August of 2021, shortly before the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and is one of several which addresses the subject of the Callery pear survivor tree. These other titles include Branches of Hope: The 9/11 Survivor Tree by author Ann Magee and illustrator Nicole Wong, This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth by author/illustrator Sean Rubin (both published in 2021), as well as the 2020 Miracle of Little Tree: The 9/11 Survivor Tree's Incredible Story , by Linda S. Foster. Of course, anniversaries and significant dates do tend to produce a rush of books on the same topic, in the children's book world, so that is not surprising. That said, I think this specific subject is particularly fitting for a children's book, as it offers a fairly gentle and hopeful entree to a difficult and dark subject, one which emphasizes resilience and healing, rather than focusing on atrocity. As it happens, the subject of a tree's survival of human conflict can also be found in such titles as Gaye Sanders and Pamela Behrend's The Survivor Tree , which tells the story of an elm tree which survived the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995, as well as Sandra Moore and Kazumi Wilds' The Peace Tree from Hiroshima: The Little Bonsai with a Big Story .
In any case, this was a beautiful and heartbreaking book, one I would recommend to picture book readers looking for 9/11 stories that emphasize survival, resilience, healing and hope.
Survivor Tree is an immensely poignant and powerful book, and I found myself close to tears on more than one occasion, while reading it. The text is minimal but emotionally resonant, and the artwork beautiful. The book was published in August of 2021, shortly before the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and is one of several which addresses the subject of the Callery pear survivor tree. These other titles include Branches of Hope: The 9/11 Survivor Tree by author Ann Magee and illustrator Nicole Wong, This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth by author/illustrator Sean Rubin (both published in 2021), as well as the 2020 Miracle of Little Tree: The 9/11 Survivor Tree's Incredible Story , by Linda S. Foster. Of course, anniversaries and significant dates do tend to produce a rush of books on the same topic, in the children's book world, so that is not surprising. That said, I think this specific subject is particularly fitting for a children's book, as it offers a fairly gentle and hopeful entree to a difficult and dark subject, one which emphasizes resilience and healing, rather than focusing on atrocity. As it happens, the subject of a tree's survival of human conflict can also be found in such titles as Gaye Sanders and Pamela Behrend's The Survivor Tree , which tells the story of an elm tree which survived the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995, as well as Sandra Moore and Kazumi Wilds' The Peace Tree from Hiroshima: The Little Bonsai with a Big Story .
In any case, this was a beautiful and heartbreaking book, one I would recommend to picture book readers looking for 9/11 stories that emphasize survival, resilience, healing and hope.
December 8, 2021
Like This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth, this is a beautiful story about the tree that was found in the rubble from September 11. This one is about resiliency, hope, the will to survive and regrowth. Beauty can come from tragedy; sorrow can bring joy.
Read or share the notes at the end of the story. You may find the full story even more incredible than what you read by author Marcie Colleen and illustrator Aaron Becker.
Read or share the notes at the end of the story. You may find the full story even more incredible than what you read by author Marcie Colleen and illustrator Aaron Becker.
September 12, 2021
Survivor Tree is a children's picture book written by Marcie Colleen and illustrated by Aaron Becker. It centers on a remarkable tree, which stands where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once soared. Since today (11 September 2021) is the twentieth anniversary of the terrorist attack, I thought it would apropos to read this book today.
A Callery pear tree became known as the "Survivor Tree" after enduring the September 11, 2001 terror attacks at the World Trade Center.
Colleen's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Colleen frames the narrative through the tree's seasonal displays and its history, employing spare, elegant prose as she traces its journey before its uprooting, its decade of recovery in the Bronx's Arthur Ross Nursery, and its replanting at the 9/11 Memorial. Backmatter includes more information on the Survivor Tree and notes from the creators. Rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, lush illustrations by Caldecott Honoree Becker realistically reflect the city setting and the story's natural elements while leaving space for images of a varied array of human characters.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Observing the 20th anniversary of 9/11, this nonfiction picture book follows a Callery pear tree, growing at the foot of the towers for almost thirty years, that was rescued from the rubble following the attacks.
All in all, Survivor Tree is a lovely 20th-anniversary tribute to the towers and all who perished and survived.
A Callery pear tree became known as the "Survivor Tree" after enduring the September 11, 2001 terror attacks at the World Trade Center.
Colleen's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Colleen frames the narrative through the tree's seasonal displays and its history, employing spare, elegant prose as she traces its journey before its uprooting, its decade of recovery in the Bronx's Arthur Ross Nursery, and its replanting at the 9/11 Memorial. Backmatter includes more information on the Survivor Tree and notes from the creators. Rendered in watercolor and colored pencil, lush illustrations by Caldecott Honoree Becker realistically reflect the city setting and the story's natural elements while leaving space for images of a varied array of human characters.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Observing the 20th anniversary of 9/11, this nonfiction picture book follows a Callery pear tree, growing at the foot of the towers for almost thirty years, that was rescued from the rubble following the attacks.
All in all, Survivor Tree is a lovely 20th-anniversary tribute to the towers and all who perished and survived.
May 20, 2021
A story of loss, renewal, and hope. The author's lyrical language guides us through the seasons and years effortlessly from pre-, during, post- 9/11.. The illustrator's gorgeous watercolor artwork shares a tear-inducing 2nd story, that is a helpful gateway when discussing this horrible event that touched so many lives. This is picture book perfection.
I read a digital review copy.
I read a digital review copy.
January 10, 2022
I love beautiful nonfiction picture books that introduce us to bigger events. This book is about a tree that says between the twin towers. It was pulled from the rubble and was dubbed the last surviving, living thing to be pulled from the rubble.
So very cool and such a beautiful book. It gave my kids and I a different way to talk about 9/11.
So very cool and such a beautiful book. It gave my kids and I a different way to talk about 9/11.
December 16, 2021
Another winner! Like, THIS VERY TREE by Rubin, this picture book tells the story of the tree nearly destroyed-yet resurrected at the twin towers site. This offering has a bonus with a narrative of a tree's life cycle. You can't go wrong with either book.
September 11, 2022
The text and illustrations are stunning and share a powerful path to talking about hard things. It is also a great way to discuss metaphor.
February 20, 2022
Thoughtfully and tenderly told story of a small Callery pear tree that somehow survived the destruction of the Twin Towers on 9/11, as it sat between them. Workers dug it out of the rubble and due to some small, green sprouts that were growing on it, the tree was sent to a nursery to be cared for and cajoled back to life. It was transplanted at the 9/11 Memorial site where it continues to thrive. The illustrations are lovely, and the story conveys a message of hope and rebirth. It doesn’t dwell on the violence of that terrible day. In fact, it doesn’t actually mention what caused “the perfect blue sky” to explode. The backstory of that tragedy is left to be expanded by the trusted adults who will read this book to children.
January 4, 2022
5 stars
This picture book tells the inspiring and amazingly true story of the Survivor Tree. It is a tree that once grew between the World Trade Center towers on 9/11, and somehow lived through that tragic day. “It was the last living thing pulled out of the wreckage.” This is a story filled with hope and perseverance, as the tree was transferred to a nursery where it slowly healed enough to be replanted in Memorial Plaza. It is definitely worth a read! I learned a lot of very interesting, new information.
~ Miss Emily
This picture book tells the inspiring and amazingly true story of the Survivor Tree. It is a tree that once grew between the World Trade Center towers on 9/11, and somehow lived through that tragic day. “It was the last living thing pulled out of the wreckage.” This is a story filled with hope and perseverance, as the tree was transferred to a nursery where it slowly healed enough to be replanted in Memorial Plaza. It is definitely worth a read! I learned a lot of very interesting, new information.
~ Miss Emily
November 19, 2021
Wonderfully illustrated and devastating, this is a touching and important book. Adults who remember 9/11 will respond meaningfully to the Survivor Tree's story, while young people who were not around will see the gravity of the situation without being overwhelmed or frightened. That's a fine line to walk in a picture book, and SURVIVOR TREE does it masterfully. I realized I had never heard of the Survivor Tree, nor had I seen many street-level images of the Twin Towers.
Read
December 4, 2024The book Tree Survivor by Marcie Colleen is a powerful book telling the story of a tree that grew unnoticed near the Twin Towers for 30 years before 9/11. However, on September 11th, the tree was knocked down by the towers. The tree was planted again at a memorial for 9/11 and represents resilience. Two major themes in this book are resilience and hope. 9/11 was a tragic event that will forever be remembered and this book showed to never give up after a failure. Although traumatic events may have occurred, people need to keep hope alive and wish for a brighter future. Which is what the tree symbolizes. The genre of this book is informational. Two concepts I learned from this book is the importance of not giving up and pushing through after a traumatic event. Although many have gone through traumatic events, they must find hope and do their best to heal. This book was a wow book for me because I like how the author shows the importance of remembering and healing from traumatic historical events.
Two literary elements in this book are repetition and similes. These literary elements allow the reader to understand the history of 9/11 and the deeper meaning of this book, which is perseverance. One example of repetition was when the phrase “winter spring summer fall,” was said throughout the book. This phrase was used to emphasize the many years the tree has been alive. An example of a metaphor in this book is “In the fall, the tree blazed red with a million hearts before each took off in an elegant dance.” At the beginning of the book, it was used to show the positivity the tree brought before 9/11 and at the end of the book, it is used to remember the lives that were lost. This is an anti-bias book because it has no harmful stereotypes and purely focuses on providing educational information, allowing the reader to form their own narratives.
Two literary elements in this book are repetition and similes. These literary elements allow the reader to understand the history of 9/11 and the deeper meaning of this book, which is perseverance. One example of repetition was when the phrase “winter spring summer fall,” was said throughout the book. This phrase was used to emphasize the many years the tree has been alive. An example of a metaphor in this book is “In the fall, the tree blazed red with a million hearts before each took off in an elegant dance.” At the beginning of the book, it was used to show the positivity the tree brought before 9/11 and at the end of the book, it is used to remember the lives that were lost. This is an anti-bias book because it has no harmful stereotypes and purely focuses on providing educational information, allowing the reader to form their own narratives.
September 26, 2021
Beautifully illustrated and so well written. A book about a painful day that brings strong feelings to all, but still strikes hope within the story and illustrations.
Find an interview with illustrator, Aaron Becker. It's fascinating to hear how he went about making the decisions for his illustrations.
Find an interview with illustrator, Aaron Becker. It's fascinating to hear how he went about making the decisions for his illustrations.
October 23, 2021
This book is absolutely beautiful, as well as a gentle introduction to the tragic events of 9/11. One spread in particular took my breath away, instantly taking me back to that terrifying and wrenching day. But in it’s words and lovely illustrations, the story of the Survivor Tree is really quite hopeful.
November 20, 2023
Beautiful. The artwork in this book is stunning. I had never heard of the Survivor Tree before reading this book. If I was still in the classroom, I would surely read this on 9/11. I am donating this book to a NYC Little Free Library on my next trip as my mom and I visited the 9/11 memorial site shortly after its completion in 2012. The memorial pools were a sobering reminder of the terrible tragedy, but also were a beautiful tribute to those lost.
September 22, 2021
This book is a heartbreakingly beautiful, seemingly simple, and delicate story about 9/11 for children (and adults.) There are a number of picture books about this tree and 9/11; this one really blows me away with the subtle references and light touch.
December 6, 2021
This book tells the ongoing story of the last living thing to be pulled from Ground Zero, the Survivor Tree, a Callery pear tree. It had already lived longer than expected by the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and it continues to live on today. Hope and nature endure when it seems impossible. Would be a good book for preschool or early elementary to introduce or talk about that day. I love Becker's illustrations and the difference between the dust jacket and the actual cover.
August 30, 2024
Some other Goodreads reviewers stated that they'd read other books about the "survivor tree" that they preferred to this one, but this was my first experience--I will admit to not knowing about this tree--and I really enjoyed it. I appreciated the author's note in the back.
August 2, 2021
In simple, spare text that follows the progression of the seasons, author Marcie Colleen tells the inspiriting story of a tree's resilience and renewal before and after the fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11. Colleen doesn't go into detail on the Towers but the beautiful illustrations make it clear that something terrible and catastrophic has happened. A great book for commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11 this fall.
I accessed a digital ARC via Edelweiss.
I accessed a digital ARC via Edelweiss.
September 27, 2022
This is a beautiful book. It was a really great way to introduce the topic of 9/11 to my kids. Now we’ve got to get to NYC to see this tree!
October 13, 2021
What a beautiful story and beautiful illustrations for such a sad yet hopeful tree. Don't miss both the Author and Illustrator Notes at the end
December 13, 2021
This is a beautiful, lyrical story of the pear tree that was buried at Ground Zero, found, nurtured back to life, and replanted at the 9/11 memorial area. Aaron Becker's paintings are gorgeous, and I love how he included ghost images of the World Trade Center buildings in some of the paintings. There is additional information about the tree in the back matter.
January 21, 2022
Beautifully written and illustrated.
June 21, 2025
This is a beautiful story, gorgeously illustrated. September 11, 2001, was the first week of my first year of teaching. The twenty-fifth anniversary is this year, and I have been looking for a book to use with my students. This, combined with September 12th: We Knew We Would Be All Right will be perfect.
December 9, 2021
Beautifully written - Beautifully illustrated.
Yes, there are tears in my eyes...the tree is a symbol of hope and rebirth.
This book tugs at me in the same way as "The Giving Tree" does. ♥
Yes, there are tears in my eyes...the tree is a symbol of hope and rebirth.
This book tugs at me in the same way as "The Giving Tree" does. ♥
June 10, 2021
This breathtaking book broke me with one word—one spread—and put me back together again by its hopeful ending. I can't think of a better way to open conversations with young readers who did not experience 9/11. This picture book respects its readers, both young and experienced, with beauty, lyricism, and simple grace. Just stunning. I'm still crying.
May 24, 2021
Poetic
Powerful
Heart wrenching
Hopeful
Marcie Colleen's story is beautifully brought to life by Aaron Becker's stunning illustrations, with the story of the tree entwined with the story of the people of the city.
Powerful
Heart wrenching
Hopeful
Marcie Colleen's story is beautifully brought to life by Aaron Becker's stunning illustrations, with the story of the tree entwined with the story of the people of the city.
May 20, 2021
This is such a beautiful and heartbreaking tale about a tree that survived the 9/11 bombing. I hadn't heard this story before, and it's so wonderfully told. Devastation, re-growth, and renewal. Gorgeous illustrations as well.
September 10, 2021
September 11, 2021. Many of us are having trouble processing that 20 years have passed since 9/11. On top of that, we struggle with how to teach young children about the horrors of that terrible day, which changed our lives forever. Some tools for teaching this moment in history are through books, poetry, and art. All three combine beautifully in the new picture book SURVIVOR TREE by Marcie Colleen, gorgeously illustrated by Aaron Becker. This is the true story of a pear tree that grew for years in the shadows of the Twin Towers. Through use of color, the author and illustrator take us through the seasons. Then…”One September day, the perfect blue sky exploded. Under the blackened remains the tree lay crushed and burned.” Yet from beneath the wreckage workers miraculously discovered green leaves. A sign of hope. The tree was moved and replanted in fresh soil and through the seasons, it persevered. After 10 years, it was “time to go home.”
At the 9/11 Memorial, “People no longer rushed by. Instead, they stopped and wept beside two forever-filling pools.” All who read this book will be comforted in knowing that the Survivor Tree stands there today as a symbol rooted in our nation’s persistence and hope in the face of unbearable tragedy. After multiple readings, I discovered that the illustrator included another silent story of a family’s loss and resilience after 9/11. “A million red hearts” for this powerful book that took my breath away.
At the 9/11 Memorial, “People no longer rushed by. Instead, they stopped and wept beside two forever-filling pools.” All who read this book will be comforted in knowing that the Survivor Tree stands there today as a symbol rooted in our nation’s persistence and hope in the face of unbearable tragedy. After multiple readings, I discovered that the illustrator included another silent story of a family’s loss and resilience after 9/11. “A million red hearts” for this powerful book that took my breath away.
August 14, 2021
With beautiful spare and lyrical language author Marcie Colleen paints the picture of the Callery pear tree that survived the attacks at the WTC on 9/11. Becker's warm color palette captures the turning of the seasons and it's parallel to the regrowth and resilience of the Survivor Tree. Paired together, the art and text remind us that hope and light can emerge from the darkest of days. As an educator, I've taught about the Survivor Tree and look forward to using this story to supplement my teaching and make the topic accessible to children.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews