BEFORE WE STOOD TALL

The cutting-edge topic of tree communities is expressed in a lyrical story bolstered by robust backmatter.

“Before we were mighty in the kingdom of trees….” This tantalizing beginning sets the stage for a series of short, unrhymed verses, all but one beginning with before. Although the subtitle and the art help decipher the poem, readers are advised to simply go through it aloud, savoring its sound and enjoying its rhythmic use of words and phrases that invoke magic and monarchies while weaving in arboreal vocabulary. Otherwise, it is heavy work to figure out pronoun references and backward-and-forward time sequences. For younger readers, the poem and illustrations are a lulling, if slightly confusing, introduction to forest life. For older readers, accessible paragraphs in the backmatter explain such concepts as mycelium’s role in tree communication, mother trees, arboreal layers, a seed’s journey, and species in a North American hardwood forest. The word kingdom is technically neutral, but it conjures images of kings to many ears, clashing with the note about mother trees. It was likely used for the sake of the poetry—arguably an acceptable reason. The appealing, sophisticatedly childlike art shows stylized flora, fauna, and humans of varied racial presentations, all within a palette of earth tones and with a nice variety of side, aerial, and underground views. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Relax and enjoy.