Twelve lyrical poems look at twelve different trees, from early spring to deep winter. In each poem, a child identifies with a feature of the tree — such as the smooth trunk of a birch whose bark has peeled away, the strong branches of a spruce that shelter small birds or the pink flowers of a cherry blossom that tumble like confetti. The poems provide an opportunity to learn about each tree, inspiring us to look afresh at the trees around us — whether in the schoolyard, neighborhood or park — and get to know them better.

Danielle Daniel's passion for trees is beautifully matched by Jackie Traverse's paintings, which bring each tree to life. In the pages following the poems, children are invited to consider what different kinds of trees might mean to them. In an author's note, Danielle Daniel shares her belief, similar to her Algonquin ancestors', that trees are sentient beings with much to give and teach us. (From Groundwood Books)

Danielle Daniel is a writer and illustrator of settler and Indigenous ancestry living in the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek (Sudbury, Ont.). Her books include The Dependent, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Northern Lit Award and the picture books Once in a Blue Moon and Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox, which won the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award and was a finalist for the Blue Spruce Award and First Nation Communities Read Awards. She also illustrated the 2018 Marilyn Baillie Award shortlisted picture book You Hold Me Up, written by Monique Gray Smith. Daughters of the Deer, is her debut novel for adults and imagines the lives of women in the Algonquin territories of the 1600s — a story inspired by her family's ancestral link to a young girl who was murdered by French settlers.

Jackie Traverse is a multidisciplinary artist. She is Ojibway from Lake St. Martin First Nation and draws inspiration from her culture for her art. She lives in Winnipeg.