The Witness Trees

Age range 6 to 9

In evocative verse and stunning artwork,Witness Treesis the story of the world's most enduring witnesses: the trees. From the Flower of Kent apple tree still standing in Sir Isaac Newton's yard, to the English oak given to Jesse Owens after facing down Hitler at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, to the California redwood saved from destruction by July Butterfly Hill, to the Callery pear tree still miraculously alive after the World Trade Towers fell,Witness Treesis a moving tribute to the world's most famous trees, many of which still need humanity's protection. Be moved, be inspired, be amazed by the quiet, reverberating voices of nature's sentinels: the witness trees.

For generations, trees have silently witnessed history's most pivotal moments. Here are their stories.

In the sweep of wind over grass,

near the pulse of rivers,

we stand,

monuments of bark

and age-curled green.

Above, an avalanche of stars.

Below, the ocean of earth.

Within, the uncounted lives

birthed, bloomed, and plucked

from the gardens we tend.

We survive.

We remember.

We witness.

“Witness Trees is the first book of its kind to introduce the world's most famous trees Witness trees still stand at the sites of some of history's most pivotal moments: the 9/11 World Trade Towers attacks, the discovery of gravity, the enlightenment of Siddharta Gautama, and many more Gorgeous art combines the past and the present in stunning color”

? "A gallery of stately trees around the world associated with times and events both historic and prehistoric....Moving and, as a way of connecting today's readers to significant moments of the past, effective."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

"'Our roots run deep--/ they grip history, / a restless forever, ' open the incantatory first-person plural lines propelling this tribute....landscape illustrations comfortably portray historical and geographical scenes....By piling on examples, Van Cleave impresses upon readers trees' enduring power."--Publishers Weekly

"Van Cleave's decision to pull on both legend and historical fact works to the book's advantage here, underscoring the idea that trees are witness not just to events in human history but also to the narratives we create around them in our attempts to shape an unpredictable world into orderly stories. The trees have no need for such order, anchored solidly into the earth, and the somber tone and poetic text have an aloof thoughtfulness--not coldly emotionless but distant enough to see an arc of wonder in the progress of the world."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Ryan G. Van Cleave wrote his first poem at age five, and he's been writing, reading, and loving poetry ever since. He earned a Ph.D. in American Literature with an emphasis in poetry and has taught at numerous colleges and universities. Currently, he runs the creative writing major at Ringling College of Art and Design. As The Picture Book Whisperer, he helps celebrities and high-profile clients write picture books and kidlit projects.

m m is an illustrator who uses his art to sow seeds of joy. He has illustrated multiple books and lives in Vietnam.

Age range 6 to 9 In evocative verse and stunning artwork, Witness Trees is the story of the world's most enduring witnesses: the trees. From the Flower of Kent apple tree still standing in Sir Isaac Newton's yard, to the English oak given to Jesse Owens after facing down Hitler at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, to the California redwood saved from destruction by July Butterfly Hill, to the Callery pear tree still miraculously alive after the World Trade Towers fell, Witness Trees is a moving tribute to the world's most famous trees, many of which still need humanity's protection. Be moved, be inspired, be amazed by the quiet, reverberating voices of nature's sentinels: the witness trees. For generations, trees have silently witnessed history's most pivotal moments. Here are their stories. In the sweep of wind over grass, near the pulse of rivers, we stand, monuments of bark and age-curled green. Above, an avalanche of stars. Below, the ocean of earth. Within, the uncounted lives birthed, bloomed, and plucked from the gardens we tend. We survive. We remember. We witness.

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