16 April 2023 BIG TREE by Brian Selznick, Scholastic Press, April 2023, 528p., ISBN: 978-1-338-18063-3

“Earth keeps turning, sun keeps burning

They see it as a grand design

Don’t know, ain’t got no plan

I’m just here looking for vital signs

I said life on Earth, I said life on Earth, I said life on Earth, 

Is there really any life down here at all?”

– Artie Traum (1977)

“‘Attention, Trees! We have an Emergency Warning!’ The deep voices were coming from three mushrooms that had just popped up from the forest floor. 

‘Emergency?’ Mama asked the Ambassadors. ‘What is going on?’

The biggest mushroom stood up straight. ‘Ma’am! We were gathering our usual information but got distracted, and, um…’ His voice lacked its normal confidence and trailed off.

The middle mushroom stepped in. ‘We were gathering information around the forest as we always do, and it seems–’

‘Out with it!’ said Mama as her roots absorbed the impatience of all the trees in the forest.

‘It seems we missed something.’

‘But you never miss anything,’ said Mama.

‘Gosh.’ The littlest mushroom shook his cap proudly. ‘That’s nice of you to say.’

‘Tell her what we missed,’ said the middle mushroom.

‘Don’t be rude to the tree,’ said the biggest mushroom. ‘She just complimented us.’

‘Fine!’ shouted the middle mushroom. ‘I’ll do it. Trees of the forest, I’m afraid we missed something very important.’

‘Enough! What did you miss?’ asked Mama.

‘A Giant,’ said the Ambassadors.

‘A Giant!’ cried all the trees in the forest. Even the young Birches, who usually stayed so quiet could be heard amid the din. ‘A Giant could eat us in one gulp!’ they cried.

Nearby, a grove of old Pines who had survived their share of insect attacks and lightning strikes over the years were particularly unhappy. ‘The Ambassadors of our youth were much more informed. Never made mistakes. Today’s mushrooms are distracted and don’t deserve the energy we give ‘em!’ 

Mama quickly turned her attention back to her children. The little seeds were all wide awake now as the entire forest vibrated with nervous energy. Though Merwin could barely hear the Ambassadors, he understood a Giant was coming. He wasn’t exactly sure what a Giant was, but the fear in the Ambassadors’ voices told him it must be dangerous. Louise, meanwhile, squirmed and wriggled with excitement, aware that something big was about to happen.

‘Stop moving,’ whispered Merwin, straightening up and trying to seem brave for his sister.

‘Hush, children’ said Mama, ‘and stay still.

When the forest had grown calm and quiet, her mind returned to the Ambassadors and she asked the most important question. ‘Where is the Giant now?’

The Ambassadors looked up. ‘It’s…it’s…it’s…there!’”

Heralded author/illustrator Brian Selznick has incorporated a world of research on our planet’s geological history, along with its ancient plant- and animal life, into his latest, wondrous, illustrated tale. As with his previous well-known works, BIG TREE is told through both text and extensive strands of wordless pencil illustrations. Given the number of wordless spreads in the book, this is the fastest 500+ page book you will read. 

But once you’re done, there’s lots to spend time wondering about, contemplating, and discussing. I am not otherwise familiar with the work of Dr. Suzanne Simard and the so-called “wood-wide web,” But, as Mr. Selznick explains in the Afterword, “...a forest, in real life, is not a place where many individual trees grow. Rather, it’s an interdependent community with members that help one another survive.” For all the time I spend walking in the woods, that’s a big concept with which I was not familiar. 

Set in the Cretaceous Period, there’s lots of science to soak in. Through asteroids, fires, dinosaur stampedes, and volcanic eruptions, we follow Merwin and Louise, a pair of sycamore tree seed siblings. The pair seek to grow wings and roots, as their Mama lovingly instructed them to do, before her untimely demise. Through chance events both fascinating and perilous, the seed sibs take part in a lot of traveling. It is through the “eyes” of this pair that we gain an eye-opening introduction to prehistoric life on Earth. 

While younger audiences will adore the tale of the two seeds, and the luscious illustrations, 9-12s will be able to more fully grasp the concepts detailed in the backmatter, and can follow up with other resources. It’ll be a great reason to visit the American Museum of Natural History (which was a childhood highlight for the author/illustrator, as it was for me). 

And, for all audiences, you might consider tying this into planting (and naming) a tree.

Richie Partington, MLIS

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