Trees are powerful and awe-inspiring AND they play a crucial part in balancing the environment. If you’re keen on raising tree huggers, you’ll love these picture books about trees. We’ve gathered stories about old trees, new trees, forests, and of course, kids who can’t get enough of trees.
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Wonderful Picture Books About Trees
Here are some of the best picture books about trees and tree lovin’:
Little Tree
Published: October 27, 2015
In the middle of a little forest, there lives a Little Tree who loves his life and the splendid leaves that keep him cool in the heat of long summer days. Life is perfect just the way it is.
Autumn arrives, and with it the cool winds that ruffle Little Tree’s leaves. One by one the other trees drop their leaves, facing the cold of winter head on. But not Little Tree—he hugs his leaves as tightly as he can. Year after year Little Tree remains unchanged, despite words of encouragement from a squirrel, a fawn, and a fox, his leaves having long since turned brown and withered. As Little Tree sits in the shadow of the other trees, now grown sturdy and tall as though to touch the sun, he remembers when they were all the same size. And he knows he has an important decision to make.
Our Tree Named Steve
Published: February 15, 2007
Dear Kids, A long time ago, when you were little, Mom and I took you to where we wanted to build a house. . . . I remember there was one tree, however, that the three of you couldn’t stop staring at. . . .
After the family spares him from the builders, Steve the tree quickly works his way into their lives. He holds their underwear when the dryer breaks down, he’s there when Adam and Lindsay get their first crushes, and he’s the centerpiece at their outdoor family parties. With a surprising lack of anthropomorphizing, this is a uniquely poignant celebration of fatherhood, families, love, and change.
Stuck
Published: November 10, 2011
When Floyd’s kite gets stuck in a tree, he’s determined to get it out. But how? Well, by knocking it down with his shoe, of course. But strangely enough, it too gets stuck. And the only logical course of action . . . is to throw his other shoe. Only now it’s stuck! Surely there must be something he can use to get his kite unstuck. An orangutan? A boat? His front door? Yes, yes, and yes. And that’s only the beginning. Stuck is Oliver Jeffers’ most absurdly funny story since The Incredible Book-Eating Boy. Childlike in concept and vibrantly illustrated as only Oliver Jeffers could, here is a picture book worth rescuing from any tree.
The Forever Tree
Published: January 23, 2018
The animals and humans always knew their tree was special. The trunk was the best place to host championship bingo tournaments, and the branches were perfect for swinging in the shade!
But when the tree gets sick, neighbors new and old will have to join forces if they have any chance of saving their treetop home.
A touching tale based on the true story of one special tree, and the community that brought it back to life.
Tree: A Peek-Through Picture Book
Published: February 9, 2016
Through a hole in the book’s cover, an owl invites you inside to meet a majestic tree and all its forest inhabitants during the changing seasons. With clever peekaboo holes throughout, each page reveals a new set of animals playing and living in the tree—baby bears frolicking in the spring, bees buzzing around apples in the summer, squirrels storing nuts in the fall, and finally the lone owl keeping warm during the winter chill—until another year begins. . . .
Children will love seeing a new set of animals appear and then disappear as each page is turned, and along the way they’ll learn about the seasons and how a forest and its inhabitants change throughout the year.
The Tree Lady
Published: September 17, 2013
Katherine Olivia Sessions never thought she’d live in a place without trees. After all, Kate grew up among the towering pines and redwoods of Northern California. But after becoming the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science, she took a job as a teacher far south in the dry desert town of San Diego. Where there were almost no trees.
Kate decided that San Diego needed trees more than anything else. So this trailblazing young woman singlehandedly started a massive movement that transformed the town into the green, garden-filled oasis it is today. Now, more than 100 years after Kate first arrived in San Diego, her gorgeous gardens and parks can be found all over the city.
Red Knit Cap Girl and the Reading Tree
Published: September 23, 2014
One day Red Knit Cap Girl and her friends discover a hollow tree in the middle of the forest. What can be done with one ordinary tree? “I will keep my book in this nook so everyone can read it,” Red Knit Cap Girl says.
But the tree isn’t only for books. Little by little, one by one, the animals share their unique gifts and turn the ordinary tree into a special spot for everyone to enjoy!
The Boy Who Grew a Forest
Published: March 15, 2019
As a boy, Jadav Payeng was distressed by the destruction deforestation and erosion was causing on his island home in India’s Brahmaputra River. So he began planting trees. What began as a small thicket of bamboo, grew over the years into 1,300 acre forest filled with native plants and animals. The Boy Who Grew a Forest tells the inspiring true story of Payeng–and reminds us all of the difference a single person with a big idea can make.
The Very Oldest Pear Tree
Published: August 1, 2020
In the 1630s in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, a Puritan settler planted a pear tree―the first pear tree in America. More than a century later, the tree still bore fruit, impressing a famous poet and one of the first US presidents. The pear tree survived hurricanes, fire, and vandalism, and today, more than 350 years after it was first planted, it’s alive and strong, and clones of it grow all around the US. This is the amazing true story of the Endicott Pear tree, and how it grew up with our nation.
Tap the Magic Tree
Published: August 27, 2013
Every book needs you to turn the pages. But not every book needs you to tap it, shake it, jiggle it, or even blow it a kiss. Innovative and timeless, Tap the Magic Tree asks you to help one lonely tree change with the seasons. Now that’s interactive—and magical!
It begins with a bare brown tree. But tap that tree, turn the page, and one bright green leaf has sprouted! Tap again—one, two, three, four—and four more leaves have grown on the next page. Pat, clap, wiggle, jiggle, and see blossoms bloom, apples grow, and the leaves swirl away with the autumn breeze. The collage-and-watercolor art evokes the bright simplicity of Lois Ehlert and Eric Carle and the interactive concept will delight fans of Pat the Bunny. Combining a playful spirit and a sense of wonder about nature, Christie Matheson has created a new modern classic that is a winner in every season—and every story time!
This Very Tree
Published: May 11, 2021
In the 1970s, nestled between the newly completed Twin Towers in New York City, a Callery pear tree was planted. Over the years, the tree provided shade for people looking for a place to rest and a home for birds, along with the first blooms of spring.
On September 11, 2001, everything changed. The tree’s home was destroyed, and it was buried under the rubble. But a month after tragedy struck, a shocking discovery was made at Ground Zero: the tree had survived.
Apple and Magnolia
Published: February 8, 2022
Britta visits her two favorite trees, Apple and Magnolia, every day. Though she can’t explain it, she’s sure they are best friends! Then one day, Magnolia’s branches start to droop. Is there anything Britta—or Apple—can do to help? After all, unusual friendships can be the most powerful of all.
The Little Fir Tree
Published: October 1, 2019
When he was surrounded by the splendor of nature, the little fir tree could only think about what he wasn’t and what he didn’t have and couldn’t see. After the initial excitement of venturing out, though, he finds that the world isn’t quite what he expected.
Tall Tall Tree
Published: September 1, 2017
Tall Tall Tree is the perfect California book for kids eager to learn about the state and its surrounding environment. With its counting format and rhyming text, this book doubles as a counting book for kids and young readers.
There’s a world teeming with life that very few people ever see. Take a peek at some of the animals that make their home in a Tall Tall Tree―a magnificent coast redwood. Count the animals, one through ten―chipmunks chattering, bats roosting, slugs sliding, and many more. Tony Frederick’s playful rhyme makes this a book young children will want to look at and listen to again and again, while early readers will enjoy reading it on their own. The turn of every page reveals a unique perspective on the redwood’s many moods, illustrated with Chad Wallace’s stunning colors. Enriching STEAM activities complement the content. Come discover and explore this wild and magic world!
Shake The Tree!
Published: January 2, 2018
Mouse spots a nut high up in a tree. “Mmm,” she says. “I’m going to gobble that up!” So she shakes the tree a little to the right, and she shakes the tree a little to the left. But it isn’t the nut that falls from the tree, it’s Fox, who thinks that Mouse looks pretty tasty! Soon a warthog and then a bear come along with similar ideas. Little readers will enjoy the just-made-it escapes (and be happy to get in on the shaking action), only to laugh out loud when their expectations are foiled at the end.
The Happiest Tree
Published: April 30, 2019
Over the years, the gingko tree that resides outside an apartment building has seen many things.
When it was ten, sounds of the Rose piano class filled the ground floor and whistled through its young branches.
At fourteen, a growth spurt year, it met Mr. Artist on the second floor whose muse was the tree itself.
As the years continue on, the tree encounters many people in the apartment building making memories. Some are happy, some are sad―they’re all part of growing up. All part of who we will be in the future.
Zee Grows a Tree
Published: March 4, 2021
On the morning little Zee Cooper is born, a Douglas-fir seedling emerges from the nursery bed at her family’s Christmas tree farm. As Zee and the tree grow up together, they experience many of the same milestones. When Zee starts preschool, her tree is ready to start life outside the nursery. As Zee outgrows all her clothes, her tree grows taller, too. When Zee gets a whole new look for kindergarten, her tree gets a spiffy transformation as well. And as the years go on, Zee takes loving care of her tree, watering it through heat waves and protecting it from winter winds. Combining interesting details about how trees are grown and cared for on a farm with the sweet story of a friendship between a girl and her special tree, Zee Grows a Tree offers a blend of fiction and nonfiction that will draw the interest of young nature lovers everywhere. In the back of the book, readers will find an index, bibliography, and an author’s note suggesting some ways to enjoy a holiday tree without cutting one down.
The Night Gardener
Published: February 16, 2016
One day, William discovers that the tree outside his window has been sculpted into a wise owl. In the following days, more topiaries appear, and each one is more beautiful than the last. Soon, William’s gray little town is full of color and life. And though the mysterious night gardener disappears as suddenly as he appeared, William—and his town—are changed forever.
Trees: A Count and Find Primer
Published: August 3, 2021
Learn to count from 1 to 10 with this captivating collection of illustrations featuring different kinds of amazing trees found across the United States. Have fun reading―and finding―with your child as you search for trees such as 1 Mangrove Tree, 5 Giant Sequoia Trees, and 8 Quaking Aspen Trees. One you’re finished counting, the last spread contains 10 more objects hidden throughout the book for you to find next, as well as a page dedicated to explaining fun facts all about the trees you just read about.
It Starts With a Seed
Published: September 5, 2017
As the tree grows, it is joined by well-loved woodland creatures—squirrels and rabbits, butterflies and owls—who make it their home. A rhyming poem builds page on page, echoing the rings of a growing tree. The story culminates with a foldout page showing a mature tree shedding seeds to continue the beautiful cycle of life. At the back, find the full poem and facts about the specific tree, a sycamore.
Strange Trees
Published: April 5, 2016
Have you ever heard of the Strangler Tree? The Bubblegum Tree? The Upside-Down Tree? How about trees with horns, bottles, sausages, crowns, and ones that walk or even explode? Crazy, maybe, but true. Find out more about these, and many others, in this colorfully illustrated collection of the most bizarre—but real—trees from around the world, once again reminding us that the art of nature is far stranger than fiction. The perfect book for inquisitive naturalists with imaginations, Strange Trees also includes a map of the world showing where the trees grew.
As an Oak Tree Grows
Published: September 11, 2014
This inventive picture book relays the events of two hundred years from the unique perspective of a magnificent oak tree, showing how much the world can transform from a single vantage point. From 1775 to the present day, this fascinating framing device lets readers watch as human and animal populations shift and the landscape transitions from country to city. Methods of transportation, communication and energy use progress rapidly while other things hardly seem to change at all.
Wangari’s Trees of Peace
Published: September 21, 2008
As a young girl growing up in Kenya, Wangari was surrounded by trees. But years later when she returns home, she is shocked to see whole forests being cut down, and she knows that soon all the trees will be destroyed. So Wangari decides to do something—and starts by planting nine seedlings in her own backyard. And as they grow, so do her plans. . . .
Maple
Published: September 21, 2008
As a young girl growing up in Kenya, Wangari was surrounded by trees. But years later when she returns home, she is shocked to see whole forests being cut down, and she knows that soon all the trees will be destroyed. So Wangari decides to do something—and starts by planting nine seedlings in her own backyard. And as they grow, so do her plans. . . .
The Great Spruce
Published: October 18, 2016
Alec loves to climb trees—the little apple trees, the wide willow trees, even the tall locust trees. But his favorite is the great spruce, with its sturdy trunk and branches that stretch up to the sky. Alec’s grandpa planted it as a sapling years and years before Alec was born, and every Christmas, Alec and his grandpa decorate the tree together, weaving tinsel and lights through its branches, making it shine bright.
But one day, a few curious men from the nearby city take notice of Alec’s glistening great spruce, and ask to take it away for their Christmas celebration. Though it’s a huge honor, Alec’s heartbroken at the idea of losing his friend. With great courage and creativity, Alec comes up with a plan to save his favorite tree in this joyful holiday tale.
The Busy Tree
Published: September 1, 2009
Spectacular illustrations rendered in oil paint, and a rhyming text that describes a tree’s activities from its roots to its branches, introduce young readers to the amazing activities that go on in a tree. Acorns nibbled by chipmunks, ants scurrying across a trunk, a spider spinning a web, leaves “breathing out air for all to breathe in”—everything adds up to a “busy tree” for all to “come and see.”
We Planted a Tree
Published: March 9, 2010
We planted a tree and it grew up,
While it reached for the sky and the sun. . . .
In this simple poem illustrated by award winner Bob Staake, two young families in two very different parts of the world plant a tree. As the trees flourish, so do the families . . . while trees all over the world help clean the air, enrich the soil, and give fruit and shade.
With a nod to Kenya’s successful Green Belt Movement, Diane Muldrow’s elegant text celebrates the life and hope that every tree—from Paris to Brooklyn to Tokyo—brings to our planet. Perfect for young readers!
Under My Tree
Published: April 21, 2020
When Susanne leaves her city home to visit her grandmother, she finds a very special tree of her own in the forest. Each time she returns to the tree, she observes something unique about it―from the sheltering protection of its branches to the scratchy surface of its bark.
Little Acorn
Published: July 3, 2018
Have you ever wondered what happens when a little acorn becomes a big oak tree? This beautifully illustrated story will delight children and parents alike, and also offers a perfect introduction to the life cycle of trees.
Who Will Plant a Tree?
Published: April 8, 2010
A squirrel buries an acorn. A dolphin pushes a coconut into an ocean current. A camel chewing a date spits out the seed. What do they all have in common? Each one, in its own way, has helped to plant a tree. In myriad ways and diverse environments, Mother Nature is given a hand in dispersing seeds that eventually grow into trees. From the apple seeds falling off the sticky fur of a black bear to the pine seed carried by an army of ants marching to their anthill, creatures great and creatures small participate in nature’s cyclical dance in the planting of a tree. Jerry Pallotta, author of more than 50 children’s books, visits at least 150 schools each year. His book, The Icky Bug Alphabet Book, has sold more than one million copies. He is a contributor in Jon Scieszka’s book,Guys Write for Guys Read. He lives in Needham, Massachusetts. Tom Leonard’s children’s book art combines a folk-art sophistication with a scientifically realistic interpretation. He was the illustrator for a collection of Margaret Wise Brown’s previously unpublished poetry, Under the Sun and the Moon, winning praise in School Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
House Held Up by Trees
Published: March 27, 2012
When the house was new, not a single tree remained on its perfect lawn to give shade from the sun. The children in the house trailed the scent of wild trees to neighboring lots, where thick bushes offered up secret places to play. When the children grew up and moved away, their father, alone in the house, continued his battle against blowing seeds, plucking out sprouting trees. Until one day the father, too, moved away, and as the empty house began its decline, the trees began their approach. At once wistful and exhilarating, this lovely, lyrical story evokes the inexorable passage of time — and the awe-inspiring power of nature to lift us up.
The Adventures of Keva: The Power of the Trees
Published: June 17, 2021
As the fearless and playful daughter of environmental biologists, Keva loves exploring nature and learning about trees! When her parents go to work, Keva runs off to count ants, visit the mountain goats, and bounce from rock to rock like a frog.
Keva’s parents have taught her about the fascinating power of trees and all that they contribute to our planet. When her favorite tree, Iya, is chopped down, Keva embarks on a magical adventure to save the tree from being taken away, learning the importance of cherishing and preserving the natural environment.
This delightful and empowering children’s book is perfect for kids who are interested in learning about the relationship between humans and nature, as well as explore its magic. As each page is turned, you’ll explore exciting, vibrant illustrations that offer your little one a fun, engaging, and educational experience that will inspire them to protect the trees.
There they are: 30+ of the best picture books about trees. Which of these books have you read? What did I miss?
More Picture Book Lists
Pin This Post – Picture Books About Trees
I love books about trees. I’ve added some of yours to my TBR list. Here are some favorites of mine you might want to read. This is the Tree We Planted, The Book of Amazing Trees, The Cottonwood Tree, and Nature All Around Trees. They are all great. Thanks for the post.