From redwoods to baobabs, Filippucci presents brief overviews of the natural history and cultural meanings of twelve different tree species around the world. Each spread offers a literary quote and a large illustration that reflect that tree's significance. While the text offers some unexpected nuggets of information, Filippucci's gorgeous, intricate watercolor and ink art is the book's real highlight. Bib.

This thoughtful celebration of trees explores their mythological, biological, and spiritual significance, devoting each page to an idea and a tree species that supports it (and sharing a quotation for and information about each). Yew trees serve as -gates to the beyond- in Norse stories of Yggdrasil, a tree with roots that - to different realms.- Trees can also be -givers--the baobab -provides food, medicine, water, and precious shade--while the olive tree has long represented wisdom and peace. In Filippucci-s ornate watercolor-and-ink art, the trees are cavernous, imposing, and divine (the face of the Buddha peers from the gnarled trunk of the banyan tree), emphasizing how they have nurtured myths, legends, and the well-being of humans and animals throughout time. Ages 12-up. (Sept.)