What it is
Be a Tree! by Maria Gianferrari (2021) is a children's picture book that draws parallels between trees and human communities. Illustrated by Felicita Sala, the book shows how trees communicate through underground fungal networks, share resources with struggling neighbors, protect each other from wind and predators, and create habitat for hundreds of species. Each tree behavior is paralleled with a way children can build community: sharing, protecting, communicating, and supporting each other.
Why we picked this
Be a Tree! does something rare in children's environmental literature: it uses forest ecology to teach social-emotional skills. The mycorrhizal network ('wood wide web') becomes a metaphor for community support. The way mother trees nurture seedlings with carbon becomes a model for how adults care for children. This dual purpose makes it valuable for parents and educators who want to teach both ecology and empathy simultaneously. The science is accurate (drawing on Suzanne Simard's research on forest communication networks) and the illustrations are beautiful.
Key takeaways
- The book accurately depicts mycorrhizal networks (based on Suzanne Simard's research) showing how trees share nutrients, water, and chemical signals through fungal connections.
- Dual-purpose design teaches forest ecology and social-emotional skills simultaneously, making it valuable for both science education and character development.
- Felicita Sala's illustrations depict diverse children alongside diverse tree species, reinforcing the biodiversity and community themes throughout.