written and illustrated by Charles Bongers
Douglas & McIntyre, 2022
ISBN 978-1-77162-325-4 (hc)
$19.95, 32 pp, ages 3 – 7
douglas-mcintyre.com
This beautifully designed and illustrated picture book is a first introduction to how trees support one another, based on the science detailed in books like The Hidden Life of Trees and Finding the Mother Tree. Simple text is supported by illustrations that add to the information, and ways in which trees support other life forms are also introduced, highlighting the value of trees to human and animal life.
Curriculum Connections: The obvious link between Do Trees Have Mothers? and school curricula is to biology and ecology within the science curriculum, but links could also be made to human families and communities by comparing how trees nurture other organisms to how people support one another in healthy societies. This would make a great foundational book for schools planning scaffolded ecology units across the grades. A detached activity guide, outlining three activities suitable for young learners, accompanies the book.
Review by Diana Mumford.
This review is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Spring 2022 isssue.