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Listen to the Language of the Trees: A Story of How Forests Communicate Underground
This fascinating picture book explores the underground communication system between trees and helps young readers see that the natural world's survival depends on staying connected and helping others—just like us!
Readers will discover that trees have their own social network, and helping one another thrive is trending.
The fascinating mycorrhizal fungi network runs underground through the forest via the roots of trees, allowing for connection and communication.
Listen to the Language of the Trees captures the magic of talking trees that take care of their neighbors (not to mention the mysterious fungi that help them do it).
A lyrical read aloud, Listen to the Language of the Trees is the story of a seedling, newly sprouted at the base of a giant tree. As it stretches its roots into an underground web of fungi, it learns that its fellow trees use the fungi to pass messages and share resources! It will take great luck for this tiny seedling to survive, but it will have help from its friends in the forest. The Douglas fir forest also harbors creatures like a zany Yellow Pine chipmunk gathering and forgetting seed cones, an owl nested in the giant tree, and chattering Steller's jays. And, as we must never forget, no part of the forest is entirely free from danger!
Readers will discover that trees have their own social network, and helping one another thrive is trending.
The fascinating mycorrhizal fungi network runs underground through the forest via the roots of trees, allowing for connection and communication.
Listen to the Language of the Trees captures the magic of talking trees that take care of their neighbors (not to mention the mysterious fungi that help them do it).
A lyrical read aloud, Listen to the Language of the Trees is the story of a seedling, newly sprouted at the base of a giant tree. As it stretches its roots into an underground web of fungi, it learns that its fellow trees use the fungi to pass messages and share resources! It will take great luck for this tiny seedling to survive, but it will have help from its friends in the forest. The Douglas fir forest also harbors creatures like a zany Yellow Pine chipmunk gathering and forgetting seed cones, an owl nested in the giant tree, and chattering Steller's jays. And, as we must never forget, no part of the forest is entirely free from danger!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2022
25 people are currently reading
800 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
June 6, 2024
This was a cute little book that uses the story of a pine tree seedling to illustrate how trees seem to communicate. It starts off with the squirrel burying a pine cone and the seed within sprouts into a sapling. Being on the forest floor, it doesn't get much sunlight. However, the root system draws what it needs from the roots of older trees. Fungi in the earth interacts with the roots to exchange needs as well. In time the sapling grows and when the older tree is attacked by bugs or struck by lightening other trees help it to survive.
What scientists don't know is how the root systems know which way to send the nutrients, or how they can tell pine from another type of tree.
This was a nice little, yet informative, book for kids.
What scientists don't know is how the root systems know which way to send the nutrients, or how they can tell pine from another type of tree.
This was a nice little, yet informative, book for kids.
July 1, 2022
A couple years ago my family had just purchased our very first home. It had a garden in the front and a nice fenced in backyard for the kids to run about. Not a month after we’d moved in, though, we were all sitting in the living room watching television when we heard a loud “THWUMP!” and then all the power went out. It appeared that our neighbor’s tree, two doors down, had been hollowed out over the years by a veritable army of boxelder bugs. After a microburst, the tree just snapped in half like a twig and fell into my backyard. I should mention that I had a rudimentary understanding of trees and how they worked thanks, in large part, to the podcast Radiolab. After the remains of what had fallen were cleared away, we most clearly had half a tree remaining, still very much rooted into the ground. Now if I sliced you in half at your navel, you’d probably have very good reason not to go on living much longer. Yet year after year I stare at this tree from my own backyard, flummoxed. Why? Because it’s still alive. Somehow, inexplicably, ridiculously, it’s alive. It produces leaves on whatever remaining branches it has left. The leaves change color with the seasons. And yet, we’re talking just half a tree here. Raccoons come out of its middle every evening to prowl. How is this possible? What is going on? And does it have anything to do with what’s happening under the ground? Listen to the Language of the Trees doesn’t specifically answer what’s going on with my particular tree, but it does provide the clearest, most concise and accurate information you could hope for about what’s going on under the surface in (I love this) the Wood Wide Web. With exquisitely clever art, this isn’t the first book I’ve seen on the subject of tree communication, but what I can say is that it’s the best written with the most useful illustrations to date.
Many people come to woods and forests for the silence and peace, little suspecting that there are scads of conversations going on right under their feet. When a single seedling pushes up from the forest floor it’s not as alone as you might think. Its roots connect with “a silky net of fungi” which stretch between the roots of other trees as well. This connection allows the trees to communicate danger, drought, pests, and more. The tree the sapling originally came from can send its little one additional food (but how does it know it’s its own?). The giant tree supports others as well with food and sustenance. Then, when it in turn is struck by lightning or attacked by insects, other trees pitch in, giving it what it needs to live. Backmatter includes more “Science in the Story” with photographs and supplementary explanations, as well as a “Science Connection” and sections on What We Know, What We Don’t Know, and other Activities.
I don’t envy author Tera Kelley the choices she must have had to make when creating a story this simple. There’s just so much information out there about the exchange made via fungi partners, and the temptation to cram it all in must have been great. I know that some trees fight back against instincts by making themselves taste bad, and are forewarned about such attacks by other trees. I know that this exchange made with the fungi is very much a kind of tacit agreement to share food in exchange for other wonders. Kelley zeroes in on a baby tree, possibly because that’s something a kid can immediately understand. Babies need help and there’s something remarkably comforting in the thought that even on a busy forest floor, where little sunlight comes and every plant is scrambling for nutrients, because of this close knit community and simple cooperation, a baby can still thrive. It's a strong authorial choice for a children's book.
Mind you, the backmatter is fascinating in its own right. A SEL (Social Emotional Learning) section is included, highlighting the fact that “the forest is a natural springboard for teaching about relationship skills.” But better than all of this, I thought, was the “What We Don’t Know” section. Honestly, I wish every single nonfiction book for kids including this kind of stuff. When I was young there was such a clear cut sense that a book of facts was of all the stuff we discovered, story over. Telling kids that there's always more to learn is exciting in its own way. One thing I was sad not to see, though, was a Bibliography of sources. While Ms. Kelley is reliable, I’m sure, I’m always comforted when I see where an author has gotten their information and, even better, where they can direct kids who are curious to know more. A small listing of helpful websites would have been particularly useful (and I know the teachers using her suggested activities would agree). So, in lieu of recommendations, for those who are curious, I would like to suggest that they also check out the picture books Can You Hear the Trees Talking? by Peter Wohlleben and Be a Tree by Maria Gianferrari.
Part of what I like so much about this book is the structure of the storytelling. But what really made it stand out in my mind is how the art by Marie Hermansson clarifies what it means when trees share food or information. There’s a bit of it on the cover, but it really comes into its own on a page showing the small seedling connecting to the larger tree’s roots via pathways in the fungus. This “silky net of fungi” has always been the most difficult part for me to understand. Having this visual component really clarifies things, as does the photograph of the underground fungi web at the back of the book. Later when the big tree is in distress due to the insect attacks, you once again get this crisp, clear explanation in the pictures of how this silent conversation takes place. Visual storytelling gives science for kids a leg up.
This won’t be the last book to talk about trees and how they communicate with one another, you know. As more and more information about their ways comes to light we’ll undoubtedly see children’s books keeping up with the times. This is why I get a little sad when I review a great nature book for kids. If it’s rooted in science then it sort of has a ticking clock attached to it. At some point the text will become outdated. Fortunately, we have the book in hand right now and it’s a delight. If ever there was a moment to get kids interested in those big tall woody things outside their homes, this is it. It's a book that makes you stop and think a little about things we take for granted every day. The trees may be talkative but at least now we’ve an ear to the ground.
Many people come to woods and forests for the silence and peace, little suspecting that there are scads of conversations going on right under their feet. When a single seedling pushes up from the forest floor it’s not as alone as you might think. Its roots connect with “a silky net of fungi” which stretch between the roots of other trees as well. This connection allows the trees to communicate danger, drought, pests, and more. The tree the sapling originally came from can send its little one additional food (but how does it know it’s its own?). The giant tree supports others as well with food and sustenance. Then, when it in turn is struck by lightning or attacked by insects, other trees pitch in, giving it what it needs to live. Backmatter includes more “Science in the Story” with photographs and supplementary explanations, as well as a “Science Connection” and sections on What We Know, What We Don’t Know, and other Activities.
I don’t envy author Tera Kelley the choices she must have had to make when creating a story this simple. There’s just so much information out there about the exchange made via fungi partners, and the temptation to cram it all in must have been great. I know that some trees fight back against instincts by making themselves taste bad, and are forewarned about such attacks by other trees. I know that this exchange made with the fungi is very much a kind of tacit agreement to share food in exchange for other wonders. Kelley zeroes in on a baby tree, possibly because that’s something a kid can immediately understand. Babies need help and there’s something remarkably comforting in the thought that even on a busy forest floor, where little sunlight comes and every plant is scrambling for nutrients, because of this close knit community and simple cooperation, a baby can still thrive. It's a strong authorial choice for a children's book.
Mind you, the backmatter is fascinating in its own right. A SEL (Social Emotional Learning) section is included, highlighting the fact that “the forest is a natural springboard for teaching about relationship skills.” But better than all of this, I thought, was the “What We Don’t Know” section. Honestly, I wish every single nonfiction book for kids including this kind of stuff. When I was young there was such a clear cut sense that a book of facts was of all the stuff we discovered, story over. Telling kids that there's always more to learn is exciting in its own way. One thing I was sad not to see, though, was a Bibliography of sources. While Ms. Kelley is reliable, I’m sure, I’m always comforted when I see where an author has gotten their information and, even better, where they can direct kids who are curious to know more. A small listing of helpful websites would have been particularly useful (and I know the teachers using her suggested activities would agree). So, in lieu of recommendations, for those who are curious, I would like to suggest that they also check out the picture books Can You Hear the Trees Talking? by Peter Wohlleben and Be a Tree by Maria Gianferrari.
Part of what I like so much about this book is the structure of the storytelling. But what really made it stand out in my mind is how the art by Marie Hermansson clarifies what it means when trees share food or information. There’s a bit of it on the cover, but it really comes into its own on a page showing the small seedling connecting to the larger tree’s roots via pathways in the fungus. This “silky net of fungi” has always been the most difficult part for me to understand. Having this visual component really clarifies things, as does the photograph of the underground fungi web at the back of the book. Later when the big tree is in distress due to the insect attacks, you once again get this crisp, clear explanation in the pictures of how this silent conversation takes place. Visual storytelling gives science for kids a leg up.
This won’t be the last book to talk about trees and how they communicate with one another, you know. As more and more information about their ways comes to light we’ll undoubtedly see children’s books keeping up with the times. This is why I get a little sad when I review a great nature book for kids. If it’s rooted in science then it sort of has a ticking clock attached to it. At some point the text will become outdated. Fortunately, we have the book in hand right now and it’s a delight. If ever there was a moment to get kids interested in those big tall woody things outside their homes, this is it. It's a book that makes you stop and think a little about things we take for granted every day. The trees may be talkative but at least now we’ve an ear to the ground.
October 18, 2022
Read this book for my toddler's nap time. We learned about Douglas Firs in this book and how the trees communicate with each other through the roots located below the ground. The squirrels are always collecting nuts for the winter by burying their finds. Sometimes the squirrels forget to dig it up and little trees grew. If the little tree grew where there aren't enough sunlight then it receives nutrients from the bigger one nearby through the roots. After a storm where lightning was involved, normally the big tall tree would get hit by lightning and a branch might fall. An open space will open up and the little tree will be able to make its own nutrients through sunlight, air, and water. When the big tree is attacked by bugs such as beetles, the trees continued to communicate through their roots. The one being attacked will send out distress signals and the others will send nutrients to help keep it alive.
Fantastic read! I love learning about trees and its communication system. I have read this book a few times for my toddler. We both loved the illustrations!
Thank you Sourcebooks Kids for the opportunity to read and review!
Fantastic read! I love learning about trees and its communication system. I have read this book a few times for my toddler. We both loved the illustrations!
Thank you Sourcebooks Kids for the opportunity to read and review!
July 4, 2022
Listen to the Language of the Trees: A Story of How Forests Communicate Underground, words by Tera Kelley, pictures by Marie Hermansson, 2022, 34 pages.
This is about Mycorrhizal networks--which she says in the end matter. Networks of fungi transfer nutrients among various plants' roots, from plants with excess to those with less. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrh...
This book expresses this as, "The big tree took care to send the seedling enough to nourish it." p. 10.
Badly done. Imputing intention and altruism to trees, rather than telling the truth about transport down a concentration gradient, is a falsehood and a disservice to the reader. She compounds the lie by asking, "how did the big tree know the seedling was one of its own?" As if it did know--it doesn't--as if it would do something different if it weren't--it wouldn't--as if "how it knows" were a scientific mystery--it isn't.
This book gives the impression of a complete falsehood. That there is a germ of fact buried here is something one must go to other sources to discover.
The book is intended to be read /to/, as distinct from /by/, young children.
Not mentioned in the book, the source of its content is Suzanne Simard: https://suzannesimard.com/ who anthropomorphizes trees. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne...
Here's some slight pushback from another scientist, Kathryn Flynn:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
https://www.bw.edu/news/2021/fall/08-...
This is about Mycorrhizal networks--which she says in the end matter. Networks of fungi transfer nutrients among various plants' roots, from plants with excess to those with less. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrh...
This book expresses this as, "The big tree took care to send the seedling enough to nourish it." p. 10.
Badly done. Imputing intention and altruism to trees, rather than telling the truth about transport down a concentration gradient, is a falsehood and a disservice to the reader. She compounds the lie by asking, "how did the big tree know the seedling was one of its own?" As if it did know--it doesn't--as if it would do something different if it weren't--it wouldn't--as if "how it knows" were a scientific mystery--it isn't.
This book gives the impression of a complete falsehood. That there is a germ of fact buried here is something one must go to other sources to discover.
The book is intended to be read /to/, as distinct from /by/, young children.
Not mentioned in the book, the source of its content is Suzanne Simard: https://suzannesimard.com/ who anthropomorphizes trees. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne...
Here's some slight pushback from another scientist, Kathryn Flynn:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
https://www.bw.edu/news/2021/fall/08-...
February 26, 2022
I loved science books as a girl, and I still love to learn about science as an adult. Listen to the Language of the Trees interested me right away: the idea that trees communicate and aid each other changes everything we think about nature. It enforces the concept of interconnectivity for survival, culminating in an emotional insight that “The forest gave what it had, so the giant tree might live.”
The beautiful illustrations show the animals of the forest, the life cycle of a tree, and how intermeshed tree roots allow a forest to support its weaker members. A Douglas Fir cone is found by a squirrel and is buried, one of the seeds spouting in the shadow of a mature tree. When under stress, the trees aid each other through the fungi laced through their intertwined roots. The little tree “drank dep through the web at its roots and waited and listened as the forest talked.”
The Science in the Story, Science Connection, and What We Know and What We Don’t Know explore the facts behind the story. Activities enforce the themes of the story, the importance of interconnectivity and how to protect forests.
What a wonderful book to share with your child or classroom.
I received a free ebook from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
The beautiful illustrations show the animals of the forest, the life cycle of a tree, and how intermeshed tree roots allow a forest to support its weaker members. A Douglas Fir cone is found by a squirrel and is buried, one of the seeds spouting in the shadow of a mature tree. When under stress, the trees aid each other through the fungi laced through their intertwined roots. The little tree “drank dep through the web at its roots and waited and listened as the forest talked.”
The Science in the Story, Science Connection, and What We Know and What We Don’t Know explore the facts behind the story. Activities enforce the themes of the story, the importance of interconnectivity and how to protect forests.
What a wonderful book to share with your child or classroom.
I received a free ebook from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
February 7, 2023
Another horror story about the silent conspiracy of plants planning the downfall of humanity. (See also: Apple and Magnolia by Laura Gehl.)
The more I learn about plant communication, the more freaked out I get. And here I learn that fungi are part of the conspiracy! The HBO documentary, The Last of Us, shows us how dangerous that crap is.
You can try to barricade your house against your lawn, but know that roots are already infiltrating your foundations in preparation for the day of revolution. Do not invite the enemy inside! Your houseplants are moles, sending out valuable intel to their comrades, ready to turn on you in the middle of the night.
Beware! Beware!
(Another project! I'm trying to read all the picture books and graphic novels on the kids section of NPR's Books We Love 2022.)
The more I learn about plant communication, the more freaked out I get. And here I learn that fungi are part of the conspiracy! The HBO documentary, The Last of Us, shows us how dangerous that crap is.
You can try to barricade your house against your lawn, but know that roots are already infiltrating your foundations in preparation for the day of revolution. Do not invite the enemy inside! Your houseplants are moles, sending out valuable intel to their comrades, ready to turn on you in the middle of the night.
Beware! Beware!
(Another project! I'm trying to read all the picture books and graphic novels on the kids section of NPR's Books We Love 2022.)
June 24, 2025
Sometimes a book doesn't hit quite right with my Littles (granddaughters ages 7 and 9). This one didn't.
But it hit wonderfully with me, the Granny!
I remember when my daughters were two Littles and I'd go up to the library's Children's Department with them, let them do their thing, and meanwhile I'd pick out books for me. It's a great way to be introduced to something you want to know because nonfiction books for young readers...
...begin at the beginning
...tell you just the basics in an easy to understand way
...are usually a fast read without a lot of lingo
...and do it in an entertaining way!
In this book I learned trees in the forest communicate and share nutrients through their root systems.
Just knowing that makes me happy.
But it hit wonderfully with me, the Granny!
I remember when my daughters were two Littles and I'd go up to the library's Children's Department with them, let them do their thing, and meanwhile I'd pick out books for me. It's a great way to be introduced to something you want to know because nonfiction books for young readers...
...begin at the beginning
...tell you just the basics in an easy to understand way
...are usually a fast read without a lot of lingo
...and do it in an entertaining way!
In this book I learned trees in the forest communicate and share nutrients through their root systems.
Just knowing that makes me happy.
November 17, 2023
Kid-friendly primer on what the mycorrhizal network is and how trees and fungi work together.
July 21, 2022
Continually fascinated by trees and the interconnected ways they communicate with one another, grow, thrive, and survive makes me pick up any book about the topic and this new children's book is the right kind of stuff. With deep browns and greens, it's a nonfiction story that showcases how a baby Douglas fir might one day become a big Douglas fir and how things like a thunderstorm and lightning, fungi, and animals all contribute to whether it dies or thrives.
Included in the backmatter are facts used or learned in writing the book and I also loved how it incorporated how the book can be used in an SEL curriculum to talk about interdependence and communication while also teaching an appreciation for the true magic of nature.
Included in the backmatter are facts used or learned in writing the book and I also loved how it incorporated how the book can be used in an SEL curriculum to talk about interdependence and communication while also teaching an appreciation for the true magic of nature.
September 20, 2022
Nonfiction that reads like fiction on a unique topic! I like how the author makes what I think could be a very difficult subject to comprehend in an easy, short way for students to learn about underground communication within a forest. I particularly like the backmatter that is provided for both kids and adults. Nonfiction at its best! Two thumbs up for this book!
November 28, 2022
Gorgeous illustrations, and the story of how a seedling begins to grow in a forest with help from an underground network of fungi and tree roots is fascinating! There is lots of wonderful backmatter for teachers and parents to explore more with children. Young readers will want to learn more about how trees communicate after reading this book, and I bet some will be inspired to become scientists to help us answer the many questions about tree communication that we don't yet understand.
February 27, 2022
I can't believe how much I learned from this book. Really an example of why adults should read non-fiction written for kids - easy to understand!
August 28, 2023
We love a mycorrhizal network and a story of community care. 😍
December 8, 2022
A solid introduction to the Wood Wide Web
November 20, 2022
Lovely picture book that incorporates a lot of the stuff I learned about how trees communicate through their root networks and share resources back and forth.
I am a bit disgruntled because the whole story rests on the mother tree helping the sapling (and others) and then when it is hurt the forest returns the favor. And yet in the back materials that is explicitly one of the bullet points for things we don't know yet:
* Do mother trees ever receive resources back from the network.
So what is true? Humph. That should not be a question I'm pondering after a nonfiction book.
I am a bit disgruntled because the whole story rests on the mother tree helping the sapling (and others) and then when it is hurt the forest returns the favor. And yet in the back materials that is explicitly one of the bullet points for things we don't know yet:
* Do mother trees ever receive resources back from the network.
So what is true? Humph. That should not be a question I'm pondering after a nonfiction book.
March 23, 2023
I cannot remember exactly which article I had read once upon a while ago that had explained the concept that trees could communicate with each other underground via their root systems and fungal connections. The concept intrigued me but the science at the time was just beginning to be delved into along with the fact that plants could feel pain while expressing it to other plants it was soon shelved along with other random science facts.
Now Listen to the Language of the Trees brings that intriguing information back to the forefront and into the hands of young readers who enjoy learning about the world around, to learn about science and/or to learn more about the plants that help to shape our world. The writing is simple and provided in a fictional narrative from the viewpoint of a seedling who is trying to make it into the world of giant trees.
The text in a few spots may be a bit on the heavy side but is simple writing and even more simple to understand as it takes the reader from point to point. While being mainly focused on the small tree it also focuses on the world around the tree thus helping the reader to remember that the tree isn't a solo creature nor is it alone in the forest environment but rather part of a community.
To help emphasis this the reader is presented gorgeous and brightly colored illustrations that capture the woodland in all levels. Sometimes the perspective is just on the top layer, sometimes the reader sees just the crowns as they interact with the heavens or the whole layers of the forests including the network underneath the soil while even this is provided with a diagram so the reader can see what is being passed along. As a result this book is very thorough in its telling in all facets.
Furthermore the book provides readers who are interested in learning more with further information in the back of the book about the science found in the book and also the science connection. Furthermore the author explores what we do know about this information in comparison to what we still don't know.
All in all this will make a great addition to any science library for children and be a book that can help all ages to approach a lively discussion about a subject they may have never put consideration into before.
Now Listen to the Language of the Trees brings that intriguing information back to the forefront and into the hands of young readers who enjoy learning about the world around, to learn about science and/or to learn more about the plants that help to shape our world. The writing is simple and provided in a fictional narrative from the viewpoint of a seedling who is trying to make it into the world of giant trees.
The text in a few spots may be a bit on the heavy side but is simple writing and even more simple to understand as it takes the reader from point to point. While being mainly focused on the small tree it also focuses on the world around the tree thus helping the reader to remember that the tree isn't a solo creature nor is it alone in the forest environment but rather part of a community.
To help emphasis this the reader is presented gorgeous and brightly colored illustrations that capture the woodland in all levels. Sometimes the perspective is just on the top layer, sometimes the reader sees just the crowns as they interact with the heavens or the whole layers of the forests including the network underneath the soil while even this is provided with a diagram so the reader can see what is being passed along. As a result this book is very thorough in its telling in all facets.
Furthermore the book provides readers who are interested in learning more with further information in the back of the book about the science found in the book and also the science connection. Furthermore the author explores what we do know about this information in comparison to what we still don't know.
All in all this will make a great addition to any science library for children and be a book that can help all ages to approach a lively discussion about a subject they may have never put consideration into before.
June 19, 2022
Recent discoveries of the importance fungi play in the communication and transport of important life-giving components have spawned numerous titles based around Suzanne Simar's research (Finding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest). Here is one that attempts to share her theories for the very young reader.
The illustrations depicting life in a PNW forest are lovely though some of the narrator's attempts to cover too many tree topics through very brief texts were likely hard to illustrate in a double page spread.
While this title's simple story shares connections, mutual protections and communications between trees, forest animals, and particularly the important role that fungi play encouraging the story's young Douglas fir seedling to grow, text is so minimal that most youngest readers would not understand those connections from reading this narratively-written story. However, back matter ("Science Connection") attempts to give further explanation of the complexity of photosynthesis and the interconnectedness of trees, fungi, and each living member of the forest's contributions to sustaining forest life. An important component includes the ways trees communicate danger to each other.
A nod to social emotional learning, particularly relationship skills, is a bit of a stretch (e.g., not sure how this title's story connects with "resist[ing] inappropriate social pressure").
The illustrations depicting life in a PNW forest are lovely though some of the narrator's attempts to cover too many tree topics through very brief texts were likely hard to illustrate in a double page spread.
While this title's simple story shares connections, mutual protections and communications between trees, forest animals, and particularly the important role that fungi play encouraging the story's young Douglas fir seedling to grow, text is so minimal that most youngest readers would not understand those connections from reading this narratively-written story. However, back matter ("Science Connection") attempts to give further explanation of the complexity of photosynthesis and the interconnectedness of trees, fungi, and each living member of the forest's contributions to sustaining forest life. An important component includes the ways trees communicate danger to each other.
A nod to social emotional learning, particularly relationship skills, is a bit of a stretch (e.g., not sure how this title's story connects with "resist[ing] inappropriate social pressure").
June 7, 2024
This was a really cool book. I've read others about this topic- for a variety of age levels... The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World, The Hidden Life of Trees: The Illustrated Edition, etc.- and this one is a great addition to the list. It's written in a narrative form at a level appropriate for early and middle elementary readers. There is an "explore more" section for kids and a separate one for parents/teachers with activities, science connections, what we know, and what we don't know. Those last two were my favorite, giving us an idea of questions scientists are asking to further our knowledge about plants interacting with each other.
December 11, 2022
This is an excellent presentation of emerging information about the interdependence of the living things in a woodland, from animals to fungi to plants. The latest studies of this iuntil0-recently unknown process of underground connections and communications among the root systems of the tallest and oldest of trees to the smallest of sprouts and even to the web-fine threaded outreaches of fungal networks is only now gaining the attention it deserves. The biodiversity, natural dangers, and interspecies supports that have evolved over time and global reaches are amazing, sparking enormous curiosity in readers.
Back matter in this offering presents direct information about the various living aspects of the woodland setting, above and below ground. Other back pages reveal links to science and socio-emotional learning, clarify what IS known and what is still being investigated, and also suggests activities that young audiences/learners may want to attempt.
A fascinating picture book for many ages.
Back matter in this offering presents direct information about the various living aspects of the woodland setting, above and below ground. Other back pages reveal links to science and socio-emotional learning, clarify what IS known and what is still being investigated, and also suggests activities that young audiences/learners may want to attempt.
A fascinating picture book for many ages.
February 27, 2022
Terrific non-fiction on the forest ecosystem for younger elementary-aged readers! The text by Tera Kelley and Photoshop illustrations by Marie Hermansson pair together nicely to demonstrate how the Douglas fir reigns in the forest, providing shelter and nutrients to other plants and animals and how they, in turn, support the tree when needed. Back matter has photographs of many elements in the forests (various photographers) with brief descriptions of each, lists of what we know and don’t know about the forest system, connections to science and social-emotional learning, plus activities that teachers can do with their students as well as those that students can do on their own and with their families. A “first-choice” selection for libraries serving grades 1-4.
Thanks for the print advanced reader copy, Sourcebooks!
Thanks for the print advanced reader copy, Sourcebooks!
May 24, 2023
A book guaranteed to be treasured over and over again.
An absolutely beautiful book. Illustrations are colorful and captivating. Young ones will find new details that interest them each time they turn the pages. Together with the "story", understanding dawn's with awe and wonder! The best kind of learning. A well of water to nurture further desire for understanding. The Science present at the end ensures that this book will be treasured again and again as the child grows. Fodder for further discussions between the "seedling" and "mother trees" in family and classrooms. This is a great launch pad to connecting ones heart to our environment. Parents, Aunts, Uncles and teachers I highly encourage that this book be added to your gift lists. (Every breathing thing- let it praise Jah. Psalm 150:6)
An absolutely beautiful book. Illustrations are colorful and captivating. Young ones will find new details that interest them each time they turn the pages. Together with the "story", understanding dawn's with awe and wonder! The best kind of learning. A well of water to nurture further desire for understanding. The Science present at the end ensures that this book will be treasured again and again as the child grows. Fodder for further discussions between the "seedling" and "mother trees" in family and classrooms. This is a great launch pad to connecting ones heart to our environment. Parents, Aunts, Uncles and teachers I highly encourage that this book be added to your gift lists. (Every breathing thing- let it praise Jah. Psalm 150:6)
February 14, 2022
Nonfiction picture book, science/nature. I have been reading a lot about gardening, nature, and forests recently so I was excited when I received this book as an advanced copy from the publisher. This book focuses on the underground communication network between trees, aided by fungi. We meet a giant tree and a young seedling growing beneath it. It's a tough world out there for a young tree, but the larger tree shares nutrients with it. When a storm damages the top of the larger tree, the young seedling finds itself able to make its own nutrients with the increased sunlight. But what will happen to the larger tree now? Extensive back matter includes photographs, additional information, social emotional learning tie-ins, and suggested activities.
October 31, 2022
Information about how trees communicate and help one another, as part of an underground web that includes both intertwined roots, and the underground parts of mushrooms. This is new information that scientists are just learning, and the back matter spells out what scientists currently know (eg, big trees can recognize their kin and send them extra resources), and what scientists don't know yet (Do "mother trees" ever receive resources back from the network?). The backmatter offers activity options for kids to do, both relating to nature, and to recognize how they both give and receive help themselves as part of a network of helping. This is new information from when I was young, and fascinating!
November 17, 2022
Listen to the Language of the Trees is an important nonfiction depiction of the interconnectedness of the forest, a give and take in nature that still mystifies scientists. The illustrations and accessible text make for an easy-t0-read story kids will enjoy, without the complication of the science behind how and why the trees, roots, fungi, etc. are able to communicate so well.
This in-flow and out-low of nutrients and help is fascinating, but even the back-matter in the book didn't really bring a lot of the clarification I was looking for in understanding the book a little more deeply.
Read as a nomination in the non-fiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
This in-flow and out-low of nutrients and help is fascinating, but even the back-matter in the book didn't really bring a lot of the clarification I was looking for in understanding the book a little more deeply.
Read as a nomination in the non-fiction book award category as a panelist for Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (Cybils Awards).
November 20, 2022
This was very interesting and nicely illustrated!
Who knew that trees had a complex communication network? Thanks to author Tera Kelly and illustrator Marie Hermansson, I have a better understanding of this complex and fascinating process.
Through their root systems, trees communicate danger and send one another nutrients. The main conflict in this story is an attack of beetles to one tree that receives nutrients from other trees to repair the damage.
The backmatter provides some general information about how Douglis firs and fungi communicate via a process called mycorrhizal. The back matter also has two pages of resources for teachers: a few discussion questions and a couple of activities.
Who knew that trees had a complex communication network? Thanks to author Tera Kelly and illustrator Marie Hermansson, I have a better understanding of this complex and fascinating process.
Through their root systems, trees communicate danger and send one another nutrients. The main conflict in this story is an attack of beetles to one tree that receives nutrients from other trees to repair the damage.
The backmatter provides some general information about how Douglis firs and fungi communicate via a process called mycorrhizal. The back matter also has two pages of resources for teachers: a few discussion questions and a couple of activities.
July 17, 2024
This was fascinating!
I had no idea about the web of communication between trees and fungi. Or that trees could send out and receive nutrients.
Initially, I was not a fan of the illustrations, but as I progressed through the pages I fell in love with the expressive illustrations of the animals, the seedling and even the sunlight.
And now what I'm wondering is if it's the font that I disliked...
Another reviewer who gave this book 2 stars said this amazing network of communication does not function as the author portrays it. So, I am including the link to an article by a scientist that disagrees with the author.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
I had no idea about the web of communication between trees and fungi. Or that trees could send out and receive nutrients.
Initially, I was not a fan of the illustrations, but as I progressed through the pages I fell in love with the expressive illustrations of the animals, the seedling and even the sunlight.
And now what I'm wondering is if it's the font that I disliked...
Another reviewer who gave this book 2 stars said this amazing network of communication does not function as the author portrays it. So, I am including the link to an article by a scientist that disagrees with the author.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
October 26, 2022
First, the illustrations are beautiful! They are also helpful to explain how nutrients get from tree-to-tree.
The story itself shows how trees communicate.
What I love even more than the story is the extras at the end. The author included a section called the science in the story, which would be really helpful to look at with students throughout reading the book.
I also enjoy how the author included a what we know and what we don't know section. This would be great to show students when discussing how to ask questions and to show that there is still so much that we don't know about trees, which we definitely take for granted.
The story itself shows how trees communicate.
What I love even more than the story is the extras at the end. The author included a section called the science in the story, which would be really helpful to look at with students throughout reading the book.
I also enjoy how the author included a what we know and what we don't know section. This would be great to show students when discussing how to ask questions and to show that there is still so much that we don't know about trees, which we definitely take for granted.
Read
July 21, 2022A story to illustrate the way trees communicate with each other through a symbiotic relationship with fungi. It's fascinating, and there are a lot of included extra resources in the back. But no other sources, which was disappointing.
The other point that struck me is the use of the term "mother tree." It seems to be a widely used term, but I could not easily discover if it means that tree is actually female, or if the entire concept is based on our own cultural idea that nurturing=female=motherly.
The other point that struck me is the use of the term "mother tree." It seems to be a widely used term, but I could not easily discover if it means that tree is actually female, or if the entire concept is based on our own cultural idea that nurturing=female=motherly.
August 6, 2022
Reviewing an ARC on behalf of Raincoast Books.
Well illustrated book that not only shows what happens above ground, but hints at what happens below ground.
Fascinating information that I didn't know before.
Useful not only for little children but also as a primer for older students wanting to know more about how trees interact with their larger environments.
I love the info at the close with information for children, as well as separate, more detailed information for parents/teachers. Having activities included to broaden learning makes this an excellent small unit study.
Well illustrated book that not only shows what happens above ground, but hints at what happens below ground.
Fascinating information that I didn't know before.
Useful not only for little children but also as a primer for older students wanting to know more about how trees interact with their larger environments.
I love the info at the close with information for children, as well as separate, more detailed information for parents/teachers. Having activities included to broaden learning makes this an excellent small unit study.
April 16, 2023
The story of a seedling sprouting beneath an old Douglas fir with underground views of intermingled root systems and fungal pathways throughout the forest. It explains the older tree sending nutrients it makes in its leaves exposed to the sun to the seedling. When beetles bore into the old tree, a message is sent out and stronger trees send nutrients toward it.
No bibliography or index. There is a 2-page spread with photos and facts to support the story. Then 3 pages for teachers and parents of supplemental info, a not on social emotional learning and two activities.
No bibliography or index. There is a 2-page spread with photos and facts to support the story. Then 3 pages for teachers and parents of supplemental info, a not on social emotional learning and two activities.
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