Trees
Guide content supports the teaching and research goals of multiple departments on campus. Content represents a non-exhaustive selection of essential resources and tools for engaging a wide range of backgrounds and viewpoints.
- Tree tours & programs
- Anne Frank Tree
- The Literary Grove
- Cultural aspects of trees
- Health and wellness
- Conservation & reforestation
- Books about trees
- Children's books about trees
- Tree identification
- Tree communication
- Tree maps
- Recipes
- Tree Films-UIowa Access Only
Guide Authors
Carolina Kaufman, Director of Education & Engagement, Pentacrest Museums, is credited for curating the majority of the content on this guide.
Other Contributors:
Andrew Dahl, Campus Arborist, Facilities Management
Liz Crooks, Director of Pentacrest Museums, Pentacrest Museums
Laurie Neuerburg, Sciences Head Engagement Librarian, Sciences Library
Tree stories for young readers
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The Busy Tree by Jennifer Ward; Lisa Falkenstern (Illustrator)
Call Number: Request from Interlibrary LoanISBN: 9780761455509Publication Date: 2012-01-05A picture book. 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." -
Mama Miti by Donna Jo Napoli; Kadir Nelson (Illustrator)
Call Number: Request from Interlibrary LoanISBN: 9781416935056Publication Date: 2010-01-05A picture book. Through artful prose and beautiful illustrations, Donna Jo Napoli and Kadir Nelson tell the true story of Wangari Muta Maathai, known as "Mama Miti," who in 1977 founded the Green Belt Movement, an African grassroots organization that has empowered many people to mobilize and combat deforestation, soil erosion, and environmental degradation. Today, more than 30 million trees have been planted throughout Mama Miti's native Kenya, and in 2004 she became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari Muta Maathai has changed Kenya tree by tree--and with each page turned, children will realize their own ability to positively impact the future. -
The Magic and Mystery of Nature Collection by Jen Green; Jess French; Jason Bittel; Claire McElfatrick (Illustrator)
Call Number: Request from Interlibrary LoanISBN: 9780744094190Publication Date: 2024-03-12Enter the magical worlds of land, sea, and sky and meet the incredible creatures and plants that make their homes there in this wonderful nature box set. The Magic and Mystery of Nature Collection combines four visually detailed titles: The Magic and Mystery of Trees, The Book of Brilliant Bugs, Earth's Incredible Oceans, and The Frozen Worlds, that takes kids aged 7-9 through the fascinating world nature. This boxset contains: The Magic and Mystery of Trees. Learn about the fascinating natural science of trees and just how special these mighty organisms are. The Book of Brilliant Bugs. Enter the kingdom of bugs with insects, arachnids, worms, and mollusks crawling across the pages of this colorful bug book. Earth's Incredible Oceans. From glowing jellyfish to deep sea dwellers, this book will uncover the incredible secret world of life under the sea. The Frozen Worlds. Go on a fascinating sub-zero journey, showing just how amazing Earth's poles are and how we can protect them from the issues facing them today. -
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
Call Number: UI Main Library Stacks PZ7.E737 Bir 1999ISBN: 9780786803002Publication Date: 1999-07-21For middle readers. She was named Omakayas, or Little Frog, because her first step was a hop. Omakayas and her family live on an island in Lake Superior. Though there are growing numbers of white people encroaching on their land, life continues much as it always has. But the satisfying rhythms of their life are shattered when a visitor comes to their lodge one winter night, bringing with him an invisible enemy that will change things forever-- but that will eventually lead Omakayas to discover her calling. By turns moving and humorous, this novel is a breathtaking tour de force by a gifted writer. -
Wildoak by C. C. Harrington
Call Number: UI Main Library Stacks PZ7.1.H394 Wil 2022ISBN: 9781338803860Publication Date: 2022-09-20For middle readers. Maggie Stephens's stutter makes school especially hard. She will do almost anything to avoid speaking in class or calling attention to herself. So when her unsympathetic father threatens to send her away for so-called "treatment," she reluctantly agrees to her mother's intervention plan: a few weeks in the fresh air of Wildoak Forest, visiting a grandfather she hardly knows. It is there, in an extraordinary twist of fate, that she encounters an abandoned snow leopard cub, an exotic gift to a wealthy Londoner that proved too wild to domesticate. But once the cub's presence is discovered by others, danger follows, and Maggie soon realizes that time is running out, not only for the leopard, but for herself and the forest as well. Told in alternating voices, Wildoak shimmers with beauty, compassion, and unforgettable storytelling as it explores the delicate interconnectedness of the human, animal, and natural worlds. -
Science Comics: Trees by Andy Hirsch (Illustrator)
Call Number: UI Main Library Stacks PZ7.7.H577 Tre 2018ISBN: 9781250143112Publication Date: 2018-08-21Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic--dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and many more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you! In Trees: Kings of the Forest we follow an acorn as it learns about its future as Earth's largest, longest-living plant. Starting with the seed's germination, we learn about each stage until the tree's maturation, different types of trees, and the roles trees take on in our ecosystem. -
Little Tree by E. E. Cummings; Chris Raschka (Illustrator)
Call Number: UI Main Library Oversize FOLIO PZ8.3.C897 Li 2001ISBN: 9780786807956Publication Date: 2001-09-03Inspired by a poem by E.E. Cummings, this is the story of a little tree that finds its own special place in the world as a much-loved Christmas tree. -
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Call Number: Main Library Stacks PZ7.A6483 Wis 2017ISBN: 9781250043221Publication Date: 2017-09-26Wishtree is the beautiful, nuanced story of an oak tree and a crow who help their neighbors embrace their differences. Trees can't tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories. . . . Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood "wishtree"--people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red's hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood. You might say Red has seen it all. Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red's experience as a wishtree is more important than ever. Funny, deep, warm, and nuanced, this is Katherine Applegate at her very best--writing from the heart, and from a completely unexpected point of view.
September 11th Survivor Tree
The University of Iowa campus features a callery pear tree on west campus.
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This Very Tree by Sean Rubin
Call Number: Request from Interlibrary LoanISBN: 9781250788504Publication Date: 2021-05-11A deeply moving story about community and resilience, from the point-of-view of the Callery pear tree that survived the attacks on September 11, from Eisner Award-nominated author-illustrator Sean Rubin. * "A resonant, beautifully rendered testament to life and renewal." --Kirkus, starred review 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. Dubbed the "Survivor Tree," it was moved to the Bronx to recover. And in the thoughtful care of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, the Callery pear was nursed back to health. Almost a decade later, the Survivor Tree returned home and was planted in the 9/11 Memorial to provide beauty and comfort...and also hope. This is the story of that tree--and of a nation in recovery. Told from the tree's perspective, This Very Tree is a touching tribute to first responders, the resilience of America, and the restorative power of community. -
Miracle of Little Tree by Linda Foster; Alicia Young (Illustrator)
Call Number: Request from Interlibrary LoanISBN: 9781735277011Publication Date: 2020-08-17The tragic events of September 11, 2001, changed the world and Little Tree's life forever. Growing in New York City, Little Tree becomes tattered, shattered and buried by debris from the terrorist attack of the nearby Twin Towers on that fateful day. After weeks hidden from sight, he is miraculously discovered to be alive. Recognized as the last living thing to be removed from Ground Zero, he is carefully transported to Van Cortlandt Park's nursery to heal. Through years of nurturing and healing, Little Tree grows and is affectionately nicknamed "Survivor Tree." Written for the young, but meant to be treasured by all, Little Tree's story exemplifies how personal determination, coupled with loving support, can defy all odds to persevere through life's tragedies and challenges. -
Branches of Hope by Ann Magee; Nicole Wong (Illustrator)
Call Number: Request from Interlibrary LoanISBN: 9781623541323Publication Date: 2021-05-18The branches of the 9/11 Survivor Tree poked through the rubble at Ground Zero. They were glimpses of hope in the weeks after September 11, 2001. Remember and honor the events of 9/11 and celebrate how hope appears in the midst of hardship. The Survivor Tree found at Ground Zero was rescued, rehabilitated, and then replanted at the 9/11 Memorial site in 2011. This is its story. In this moving tribute to a city and its people, a wordless story of a young child accompanies the tree's history. As the tree heals, the girl grows into an adult, and by the 20th anniversary of 9/11, she has become a firefighter like her first-responder uncle. A life-affirming introduction to how 9/11 affected the United States and how we recovered together. -
Survivor Tree by Marcie Colleen; Aaron Becker (Illustrator)
Call Number: Request from Interlibrary LoanISBN: 9780316487672Publication Date: 2021-08-31This hopeful story of a resilient tree that grew (and still grows) at the base of the twin towers is a simple introduction for young readers to gain an understanding of September 11th and the impact it had on America. One September day, the perfect blue sky exploded. Dust billowed. Buildings crumbled. And underneath it all, a tree sprouted green leaves in its distress. Pulled from the wreckage, the tree saw many seasons pass as it slowly recovered far away from home. Until one day, forever scarred and forever stronger, it was replanted at the 9/11 Memorial. This story of the real Survivor Tree uses nature's cycle of colors to reflect on the hope and healing that come after a tragedy--and assures readers of their own remarkable resilience. -
The Survivor Tree: Inspired by a True Story by Cheryl Somers Aubin
Call Number: Request from Interlibrary LoanISBN: 9780983833406Publication Date: 2011-07-27The Survivor Tree is a story about hope and recovery that parallels our nation's own journey following the events of 9/11. A small branch and a few green leaves peeked out from the rubble left by the collapse of the Twin Towers. Several New York City workers spotted the leaves a month later and soon discovered a badly injured Callery Pear Tree under the debris. She was rescued and brought to a nursery, but no one was sure if she would live. That first spring, a dove made a nest in the tree, and green buds starting forming on the tree's branches. She would live. With great care over many years, the Callery Pear Tree, still bearing the scars from her injuries, recovered and is now planted on the 9/11 Memorial Plaza.
- Last Updated: Jun 2, 2025 1:40 PM
- URL: https://guides.lib.uiowa.edu/trees
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Subjects: Biological Sciences, Environmental Studies, Sciences
Tags: guide_type_learn