Mother Aspen: A Story of How Forests Cooperate and Communicate

K-Gr 3–Lyrical language that informs and evokes connection with the forest community, along with detailed and saturated illustrations that capture readers’ emotions, make this year-in-the-life of an aspen grove a stellar selection. LeBox provides readers with a glimpse into these groves, which are of extreme importance due to their resilience and the biodiversity they support. Through a complex underground root system and mycorrhizal fungi, the aspens, along with other trees, care for one another. The animals that live among this system also benefit. Complex scientific information is shared with readers through text that never overwhelms, accompanied by illustrations that support and deepen understanding. When Mother Aspen dies at the end of the book, readers will be comforted by all the ways her life continues. Fascinating back matter and listed resources expand on the information for young naturalists.