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Tell Me, Tree: All About Trees for Kids
Learn all about trees, leaves, and their inner workings in this colorful, favorite picture book by award-winning nonfiction author and illustrator Gail Gibbons.
Trees shelter and surround us. Their leaves offer shade from the hot summer sun. In autumn, they dazzle us with color. In winter, they stand tall against a cold and snowy background. Trees may look solitary, but each one is teeming with life.
Tell Me, Tree is a child's guide to the wide variety of trees that surround us, including how to identify them the structure of trees, with cut-away illustrations and labels. The book also includes an explanation of photosynthesis and a special section on how to make a tree identification book of your own. Tell Me, Tree , is the perfect read for Earth Day and Arbor Day, and for nature-lovers year-round.
"In this simple, informative book, Gibbons provides a basic guide that is sure to please parents and teachers as well as children." -- Booklist
Don't miss these other favorite nonfiction books by Gail Gibbons:
Knights in Shining Armor
Cowboys and Cowgirls
Recycle
Trees shelter and surround us. Their leaves offer shade from the hot summer sun. In autumn, they dazzle us with color. In winter, they stand tall against a cold and snowy background. Trees may look solitary, but each one is teeming with life.
Tell Me, Tree is a child's guide to the wide variety of trees that surround us, including how to identify them the structure of trees, with cut-away illustrations and labels. The book also includes an explanation of photosynthesis and a special section on how to make a tree identification book of your own. Tell Me, Tree , is the perfect read for Earth Day and Arbor Day, and for nature-lovers year-round.
"In this simple, informative book, Gibbons provides a basic guide that is sure to please parents and teachers as well as children." -- Booklist
Don't miss these other favorite nonfiction books by Gail Gibbons:
Knights in Shining Armor
Cowboys and Cowgirls
Recycle
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Gail Gibbons
221 books160 followersFrom gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.
Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.
Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
February 17, 2010
This book is packed with information about trees: how they grow, their parts, different types of trees, what trees contribute to the world, how to identify various trees, etc. etc. etc. There is also a wonderful section on how to do some art and nature/science/tree projects; they’d work equally well at home or in a classroom or other social or activity or educational group.
I didn’t like the illustrations of the people but loved the illustrations of the trees and parts of trees, and the illustrations that describe how to do crafts and nature/science projects with tree leaves and trunks.
My only small qualms are that trees are appreciated in light of what they can do for people and animals (provide oxygen and materials such as paper, make the world a more beautiful place, etc.) and not valued, in part, for just being alive and existing. Also, it’s just one very tiny blurb in the book, but I was so excited to see a bit of information on the oldest tree on record, until I kept reading and saw that it was 4,900 years old when it was cut down. It’s not said why it was cut down. If there was a good reason I would have appreciated reading what it was.
This author/illustrator has created a beautiful educational nature/science book about trees. It’s not a storybook but a learning book, but it’s very interesting and I think kids, especially those who love trees and nature, will enjoy it. The many pictures, especially all the many small ones, are really fun to view, and the text/picture combination that’s presented is an enjoyable way to learn the subject matter.
I didn’t like the illustrations of the people but loved the illustrations of the trees and parts of trees, and the illustrations that describe how to do crafts and nature/science projects with tree leaves and trunks.
My only small qualms are that trees are appreciated in light of what they can do for people and animals (provide oxygen and materials such as paper, make the world a more beautiful place, etc.) and not valued, in part, for just being alive and existing. Also, it’s just one very tiny blurb in the book, but I was so excited to see a bit of information on the oldest tree on record, until I kept reading and saw that it was 4,900 years old when it was cut down. It’s not said why it was cut down. If there was a good reason I would have appreciated reading what it was.
This author/illustrator has created a beautiful educational nature/science book about trees. It’s not a storybook but a learning book, but it’s very interesting and I think kids, especially those who love trees and nature, will enjoy it. The many pictures, especially all the many small ones, are really fun to view, and the text/picture combination that’s presented is an enjoyable way to learn the subject matter.
September 9, 2019
It's an arboreal extravaganza between the covers of Gail Gibbons' Tell Me, Tree, a comprehensive picture-book introduction to the world of our coniferous and deciduous friends. Starting with the basics - what is a tree, exactly? - the book goes on to explore the types of trees, their growth patterns and life-cycles, their anatomy, their all-important food production process (yay for photosynthesis!), and the means of identifying different species. Some ideas for creating a personal tree identification guide are included at the rear, along with some more detailed trivia.
Informative and engaging, Gibbons' book manages to capture the excitement and fascination of her subject, while also sticking to the facts. Her accompanying watercolor illustrations are engaging, although I think I agree with my friend Lisa (thanks for recommending this one!) in finding the images of trees and leaves more convincing than the depiction of humans. In any case, Tell Me, Tree is just an all-around excellent natural history title for younger children - early elementary school age - and is highly recommended to readers of that level with an interest in botany, and in the natural world.
Informative and engaging, Gibbons' book manages to capture the excitement and fascination of her subject, while also sticking to the facts. Her accompanying watercolor illustrations are engaging, although I think I agree with my friend Lisa (thanks for recommending this one!) in finding the images of trees and leaves more convincing than the depiction of humans. In any case, Tell Me, Tree is just an all-around excellent natural history title for younger children - early elementary school age - and is highly recommended to readers of that level with an interest in botany, and in the natural world.
November 23, 2018
Reading Level: 4.0
Book Summary: Trees are everywhere that its not too cold or too dry. Trees can do a lot of things for us, they provide us with oxygen. There are several different types of trees.
Bookshelf Genre: Informational Books
Characteristics that support the genre: Tell me tree provides a lot of information about trees that kids can understand. It also provides some activities that we could do with students at the end.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits:
Ideas: The idea of the book is to inform the reader about trees. The author discusses various aspects about trees and how we can identify trees.
Sentence Fluency: The author uses thoughtful sentences to describe trees throughout the book.
Presentation: There are really good pictures of trees and the part of trees the author is talking about when the author discusses how to identify certain trees she has pictures of the trees and their leaves so the reader knows what kind of tree has what kind of leaf.
Classroom Integration: This would be a good book to use for a science lesson on trees. At the end of the book there are some ideas of ideas you could do with students that involve trees and leaves.
Book Summary: Trees are everywhere that its not too cold or too dry. Trees can do a lot of things for us, they provide us with oxygen. There are several different types of trees.
Bookshelf Genre: Informational Books
Characteristics that support the genre: Tell me tree provides a lot of information about trees that kids can understand. It also provides some activities that we could do with students at the end.
Bookshelf Mentor Writing Traits:
Ideas: The idea of the book is to inform the reader about trees. The author discusses various aspects about trees and how we can identify trees.
Sentence Fluency: The author uses thoughtful sentences to describe trees throughout the book.
Presentation: There are really good pictures of trees and the part of trees the author is talking about when the author discusses how to identify certain trees she has pictures of the trees and their leaves so the reader knows what kind of tree has what kind of leaf.
Classroom Integration: This would be a good book to use for a science lesson on trees. At the end of the book there are some ideas of ideas you could do with students that involve trees and leaves.
November 11, 2019
Author: Gail Gibbons
Title: Tell Me, Tree: All About Tree's for Kids
Awards: Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award
Summary: Tell Me, Tree, is a early reference nonfiction that explains in detail the different parts of tree's and how they grow. It is full of explanations and definitions for all the questions a question filled first and second grade student might have. An excellent beginner for note taking and the conception of main ideas.
Review / Application: This nonfiction text would be a good study for 2nd graders reviewing the concept of a Main Idea with supporting Details. There is so much information in Tell Me Tree it is overwhelming to write it all down. This is perfect for a lesson on note taking. Instruction begins with students identifying main ideas such as Leaves, Seeds, Bark and then what supporting details the text has to teach us about each of these main aspects of trees. This is an excellent early reference text and good practice for 2nd grade nonfiction explorers.
Title: Tell Me, Tree: All About Tree's for Kids
Awards: Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award
Summary: Tell Me, Tree, is a early reference nonfiction that explains in detail the different parts of tree's and how they grow. It is full of explanations and definitions for all the questions a question filled first and second grade student might have. An excellent beginner for note taking and the conception of main ideas.
Review / Application: This nonfiction text would be a good study for 2nd graders reviewing the concept of a Main Idea with supporting Details. There is so much information in Tell Me Tree it is overwhelming to write it all down. This is perfect for a lesson on note taking. Instruction begins with students identifying main ideas such as Leaves, Seeds, Bark and then what supporting details the text has to teach us about each of these main aspects of trees. This is an excellent early reference text and good practice for 2nd grade nonfiction explorers.
June 26, 2011
This is a fascinating look at trees. The narrative is written for children, so it's not overly detailed and has lots of pictures. I like the fact that there's a picture of each tree along with a close-up picture of a leaf from the tree. That makes this book a useful guide for identifying different trees. There are also suggestions for crafts and keeping a tree log, inviting kids to explore and make their own discoveries. It's not too long, but I would recommend reading it in parts for younger, easily-bored children.
We really enjoyed reading this together and had good side conversations about the trees in our area as well as the science of photosynthesis and our girls explained in their own words how they understand how it works. I think this book is a great supplement to the science curriculum in school and I think we should find more books like this to keep their minds active over the summer.
We really enjoyed reading this together and had good side conversations about the trees in our area as well as the science of photosynthesis and our girls explained in their own words how they understand how it works. I think this book is a great supplement to the science curriculum in school and I think we should find more books like this to keep their minds active over the summer.
March 13, 2016
This text has great illustrations that could really be used in the classroom to teach students about trees! I even learned quite a bit while reading the text ;). There were a lot of labeled illustrations that show the difference between different types of leaves, trees, fruits, seeds, and more. It illustrates photosynthesis, where different types of trees grow, and how to successfully plant a new tree. It shares facts about how many trees are lost and teaches readers about deforestation. There is so much to learn from this text! And in the back, there are projects and experiments that readers can do. I really like the ones about leaf and bark rubbing. This would be great to pair/connect with science class. I want this text for my classroom in the future.
November 15, 2013
As we are beginning our tree unit in Kindergarten, I am using this book to introduce non-fiction texts. The book contains great information about parts of a tree, different kinds of trees, and how trees grow. The pictures are illustrations, but every picture is labeled and there are captions throughout the book. There are also diagrams of trees and parts of trees. It is a great way to introduce a few aspects of non-fiction, but not to overwhelm students with all of the elements, such as photographs, maps, and charts.
September 20, 2017
When it comes to learning about trees, this is the best book I've come across. This book is absolutely packed with useful information trees and the cycle of them. Kids could learn so, so much by reading this. I love that with each picture of a tree, the author provides readers of a close up picture of a leaf from that tree. I thought that was very interesting. Something else I found interesting was that there was a little snippet of the oldest tree in the world. Great way to introduce why trees are so important and non-fiction text.
March 25, 2019
Genre: Informational
Connection: Text-to-Teach
This book is great for students in 1st to 3rd grade. This book can be used as a reference when learning different types of trees and leaves. Children could be asked to write a paragraph explaining how a tree grows. Students can be asked to label parts of a tree on a diagram. The class could be asked to define, draw, and explain how the system of photosynthesis works. This book also provides guidance in creating a book of your own while those in your environment.
Connection: Text-to-Teach
This book is great for students in 1st to 3rd grade. This book can be used as a reference when learning different types of trees and leaves. Children could be asked to write a paragraph explaining how a tree grows. Students can be asked to label parts of a tree on a diagram. The class could be asked to define, draw, and explain how the system of photosynthesis works. This book also provides guidance in creating a book of your own while those in your environment.
April 18, 2012
Grade 1-2, Parts of a plant, Life cycle of tree and seasonal changes
-great book to show the many different types of trees
-also describes the parts of a tree,such as a trunk, branches, leaves..
-goes into photosynthesis
-animated pictures are great and colorful
-also describes the inside of a tree, such as cambium, phloem,... etc.
-great book to show the many different types of trees
-also describes the parts of a tree,such as a trunk, branches, leaves..
-goes into photosynthesis
-animated pictures are great and colorful
-also describes the inside of a tree, such as cambium, phloem,... etc.
June 22, 2015
This is a great beginner book for learning about trees. There are also a few common tree entries that can be used for identification. I will say, that if you are in need of a tree identification book for leaf collections, etc., this one is not detailed enough for that...but a great beginner resource!
October 25, 2017
This book is an informational picture book about trees. I would say this book is used for younger elementary up to 2nd grade. There are plenty of pictures that go along with the words. Many pictures have labeling of the different types of the trees. I really like this book because it can help students identify different trees by showing up-close pictures of different types of leaves.
February 10, 2019
This book is a perfect nonfiction book for young readers. It uses cartoon pictures, and simple strategies to teach children about trees. Also this book creates schema, by starting with simple knowledge and building up. It starts with the basic knowledge of trunk, limb, and branch. This book finishes with concepts like photosynthesis.
November 6, 2020
Definitely one to add to our home library. As one would expect from Gail Gibbons, this is a pretty comprehensive, though simply presented and easily understood, overview of everything to know about trees. I appreciate the basic references for some of the most common IDs and extension activities as well. Always amazed at how much interest my not-quite-3-year-old will show in a Gail Gibbons book.
February 12, 2010
Great book for children all about trees. Goes into detail about the different kinds of trees, their leaves, and the functions of each part of a tree. Also shows how children can make their own Tree Identification book.
August 27, 2014
A great book for teaching children about trees. It goes through the whole process of starting from a seed to a full grown tree. Talks about how trees get food and produce oxygen. And it also has grey pictures for identifying trees and explains the differences. A great informative book. (Nonfiction)
September 6, 2017
This may not be a book I read out loud (unless it's for a science lesson). However, I would love to have this book available to children that love nature. The illustrations are fun and educational. I really liked the end of the book where it gives the reader a hands on activity to do.
October 12, 2011
Excelent children's book about trees. My son loved it.
January 31, 2012
Pretty good cartoonish-illustrated books that helps with tree identification, their parts, and their importance.
April 22, 2014
A great book to introduce trees to elementary school aged children.
June 10, 2017
Great overview book of trees - especially for ages 5-8
May 11, 2018
Always love Gail Gibbons. Loved the illustrations for kids to copy.
November 26, 2019
Good nature book for first grade.
November 10, 2025
I really enjoyed this one! The illustrations are what originally drew me to this book among many informational titles, and the art was really detailed and pretty throughout. Gail Gibbons tells readers all about trees! He details how they provide us with oxygen to breathe, how they grow, provides facts about different types of trees, and more. I created a 10 fact infographic with this book, which was fun to do and a great activity you could do with students as well.
The end of the book includes activities to do related to the book: pressing leaves, leaf rubbings, bark rubbings, and creating an identification book. This would be nice for a read-aloud during a unit about trees or nature, and then follow up with one of those provided activities.
The end of the book includes activities to do related to the book: pressing leaves, leaf rubbings, bark rubbings, and creating an identification book. This would be nice for a read-aloud during a unit about trees or nature, and then follow up with one of those provided activities.
October 18, 2017
An educational book about trees for children.
May 21, 2021
Perfect for 4-8 year olds. Lots of information about evergreen and deciduous trees, identifying trees, photosynthesis and much more without being too much and with age appropriate diagrams.
November 13, 2022
It is a great book for kids to learn more things about trees leaves and more.
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March 8, 2023An extremely simplified tree science book in the vein of The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown Ups. Could be a good request for learning parts of a tree. Not a winter book.
July 11, 2024
Simple, straightforward book that held my kids’ attention.
April 4, 2023
This was another mentor text I used with my second graders during our Nonfiction unit. We used this to learn about the Nonfiction Text Features. It was a little dry and didn’t hold my students’ attention very well but the illustrations were stunning!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews