"every tree has its own stories to tell"--Joan Maloof
This is a lovely, cozy book with a simplicity that is disarming and deceiving. It's a smallish book which initially made me think it was going to only cover surface matters and not dig deep. I was wrong. It is a small book but it is full of details that are largely unknown, with anecdotes that are fascinating.
For example, Johnny Appleseed. Folk hero who planted apple trees. But do we know who he really was and why he planted? That information is found in the book, and he was quite clever because the planting had to do with claiming property rights.
It must be mentioned that the illustrations are gorgeous and subtle. Realistic.
I initially got this for my son who is a botanist but I enjoyed it myself very much. Informative in a way that makes you feel content, much like The Sound of the Wild Snail Eating.
Of the trees mentioned and drawn, the Baobab is my favorite. It's unexpected qualities and strange appearance begged to be loved.
A lovely book that would make a great gift or just a peaceful present for yourself in an ugly time of history.
Special thanks to Princeton University Press for the review copy.