Mighty

The Story of an Oak Tree Ecosystem
by Henry Cole
Illustrated by Henry Cole
This stunning, profound book explores the life cycle of a tree—not just through a season but across decades—as well as the other living things that depend upon it. How can something stay itself and yet change and grow? The oak tree shows us how.
  • ISBN: 9781682637333
  • Publication date: 02/25/2025
  • Page Count: 48
  • Size: 11" x 9"
  • Age Range: 4-8
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  • Price:
  • ISBN: 9781682637333
  • Publication date: 02/25/2025
  • Page Count: 48
  • Size: 11" x 9"
  • Age Range: 4-8
  • Price:
  • Age Range: 4-8
  • Price:
  • Age Range: 4-8
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  • ISBN: 9781682637708
  • Publication date: 02/25/2025
  • Page Count: N/A
  • Age Range: 4-8
  • Price:
  • Age Range: 4-8
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Description

This stunning, profound book explores the life cycle of a tree—not just through a season but across decades—as well as the other living things that depend upon it. How can something stay itself and yet change and grow? The oak tree shows us how.

Sometimes things happen by chance. A blue jay drops an acorn, a lucky acorn that happens to fall in just the right place and begins to grow.

Though it begins life as a tiny part of the forest floor, the acorn soon grows large enough to provide shelter for a fox, host for insects that in turn provide food for songbirds, and a home for many small creatures. Animals hibernate in its branches and among its roots, and humans rest in the cool shade it provides.

As generations of living things pass by the tree, the forest develops, and a town begins to grow. And the lucky tree is always there, though its form and size change.

In this picture book about the life cycle of a tree and the plants and animals that depend upon it, Henry Cole reminds us, in elegant prose and stunning black & white illustrations, of the importance of interconnectedness and the passage of time.

Author/Illustrator

Henry Cole

Author and Illustrator

Henry Cole is the illustrator of more than ninety books for children, including bestsellers such as The Leprechaun’s Gold, Little Bo, and Tango Makes Three, and Oink!, in addition to many of his own books, such as A Nest For Celeste and Jack’s Garden. He lives in Florida.

Reviews

“Cole takes readers on a gentle journey via this beautifully illustrated guide to a mighty oak tree’s life. . .  A storylike text, with tender turns and intricately laced drawings, this is the best of nature writing.” – School Library Journal (starred review)

“Cole’s intricately detailed pencil drawings fill every spread with dense foliage, populated by a wide variety of wildlife.” – Booklist

“The life of an oak tree is beautifully depicted in this engaging informational picture book. . .  Cole’s detailed, fine-lined pen-and-ink illustrations bring depth and life to the natural elements on each spread.” – The Horn Book

More Details

BISAC 1: JNF037040 Juvenile Nonfiction – Science & Nature – Trees & Forests
BISAC 2: JNF051100 Juvenile Nonfiction – Science & Nature – Environmental Science & Ecosystems
BISAC 3: JNF013090 Juvenile Nonfiction – Concepts – Seasons

Have a Look Inside

Books By Henry Cole