Tree Beings

Many people picture trees as motionless, sturdy giants that never do anything. This illustrated book for young readers argues that trees are far more active than that, and that they may be among our strongest helpers against climate change. Its core message rests on four ideas: trees sustain life on Earth, they can help protect us from a warming climate, they deserve to be seen as living beings, and they need people to look after them.

The book pairs bright artwork with text, mixing true stories and scientific explanation to show why trees matter so much. Dr. Jane Goodall, the well-known conservationist, provides the introduction. The stories feature a scientist who discovered how trees communicate, a young woman who set a world record for living up a tree, and a boy who rallied other children to act on climate change. Other accounts cover the first women who hugged trees to protect them and a man responsible for planting trillions of trees.

Alongside these people, readers meet tree wisdom from many cultures and some famous and remarkable tree species. Written for children, the book encourages them to appreciate the wonder and value of nature, and to see trees not as silent objects but as beings that enrich the whole planet.