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Mighty: The Story of an Oak Tree Ecosystem
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.
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.
48 pages, Hardcover
Published April 29, 2025
53 people want to read
About the author
Henry Cole
253 books169 followersHenry Cole was a celebrated science teacher for many years before turning his talents to children's books. He has worked on nearly one hundred and fifty books for children, including Nesting, Unspoken, Big Bug, A Nest for Celeste, Jack's Garden, and On Meadowview Street. Henry loves being outside where he can sketch and write.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 2, 2025
Mighty is the story of an oak tree from acorn to full-fledged oak tree ecosystem. It is a perfect introduction to oaks, to trees, to ecosystems, for our youngest learners. The pictures are exquisitely detailed pencil drawings that children will love to eye. The text is hearty but also understandable.
A lovely book!
A lovely book!
August 17, 2025
Henry Cole's black and white illustrations in his story of the life of a Mighty Oak tree and the ecosystems it supports are phenomenal. Most of the illustrations in this wonderful book cover a 2-page spread and the detail in them is nothing short of mind-boggling. Of the new picture books I've read this year, this one gets my vote for the best illustrated book of 2025. Each time you look at Cole's amazing illustrations, you will discover some new detail. As someone who loves black and white pen illustrations, this is a book I want in my own library. I also love the book for the centuries-spanning story it tells. Cole details the life of an Oak tree from its beginnings as an acorn, dropped by a blue jay, to its position as a mighty, life-harboring home for wildlife in the center of a town. This is an excellent book that is bound to not only entertain children but to give them an appreciation for the interconnected web of nature's ecosystems. Highly Recommended!
May 28, 2025
Beautiful book about the journey of an oak tree, from a tiny acorn to a mighty tree.
April 6, 2025
A good book that is refreshingly low-tech. The illustrations are black-and-white, pen and ink with lots of fine detail. The book is physically solid and substantial (good paper, signature sewn). In a lot of ways it feels like something that could have been created 50+ years ago - which automatically makes me take notice in this age of crap.
The book gets 48 large pages to tell its tale. Most of the illustrations are full spreads with no margins (some spreads feature multiple smaller drawings, often showing gradual change). But, as the book is focused on a single oak tree, the illustrations have a sameness that detracts from its impact. One thing about nature is that it is not all black and white. Even an individual oak tree changes over the seasons, and with no greens, yellow, oranges, reds, or browns, it feels like we are looking an old Xerox photocopy, a pale imitation of the real world. I do believe that black-and-white illustration is important and that it is largely neglected, but I think it works better with different kinds of subjects. This book screams out for color - on at least some pages. This would really help reduce the sameness.
There are some little details about some illustrations worth noting. Cole specifically dedicates the book to Rachel Carson and identifies her as the woman on the back cover. Another illustration features "a naturalist" who could be Walt Whitman (or Henry David Thoreau? or John Muir? or someone else entirely - or nobody in particular) and it would have been nice to know.
I also wonder why the final celebration illustration downplays National Arbor Day (label on a tiny table) and the much larger banner proclaims it "Annual Mighty Oak Day" - a made-up hyperlocal observance. I would think this book could be an ideal tie-in to Arbor Day and the history of conservation.
Unfortunately, overall the text is dull. It is brief, simple, and mostly factual without any poetry, imagery, or spirit. I could wish that Cole as illustrator had collaborated with an author who could present a more lyrical ode to nature.
An example: "In the autumn, leaves turn brown and fall to the forest floor. Earthworms, fungi, and microorganisms and other decomposers enrich the soil. Migrating warblers rest in the oak as they journey south." First, "turn brown" is such an understatement. Maybe they are brown when they are falling, but it's the getting to brown that is so interesting. Not all leaves turn at the same time and in the same way, so we get a variety, a diversity of independence, all moving according to the larger plan. Secondly, the list is poorly constructed - comma, comma, and and. Lastly, "microorganisms" is such an ugly word. The accompanying illustration shows leaves falling from the tree while some fourteen birds of one variety pass through and a bird of another variety simply sits still and watches. Never have I seen such tremendous activity and lethargic inactivity in the same place. I also don't think leaves fall in such abundance all at the same time. I think Cole wanted to have a busy picture and fudged the facts in order to get it. But clearly it's not a great match for the text.
Elsewhere the tree has two squirrels, a raccoon, an opossum, and a wild cat of some sort - all sitting in the tree at the same time, alongside some small birds, while larger birds (and two butterflies) fly through. I don't buy it. It's not true to nature. I'm no great naturalist, but what I have seen is that when a squirrel gets into a tree all the birds scatter, and two squirrels never sit still - they chase. As for the larger animals - all together, just a limb away from each other? Come on. The text says, "Animals make their homes in the massive branches." I don't believe for one second that all those animals shown are living together in that tree. My understanding is that opossums especially are loners. As with the first example, I think Cole really wanted to show that he could draw all these things and the truth of reality got pushed aside so that he could show off his skills (which are impressive). But I don't know that the larger concept is well served by this.
I also am not crazy about the word "humans" - it's so clinical. "Humans build a home near the tree" - who talks like that? Couldn't they be settlers or pioneers or a family or something else?
The last two pages are "How to Build an Ecosystem," and in tiny text let Cole the forestry major wear his science teacher hat. Here he squeezes in concepts and terms that are sometimes not all that relevant to the main topic. I think much of this could have been integrated into the main text in a way that would be less "And now, class, please take out your notebooks for a science lesson".
Some illustrations are absolutely glorious. The guy has chops. I just wish the entirety was done better.
BTW, this isn't the first children's book about the long life of a single tree. Conrad and Mary Buff's Big Tree immediately comes to mind. That book has much more text, telling a story in words accompanied by some beautiful black-and-white pictures (large and small, sometimes not including the tree itself at all), rather than making illustrations the main attraction.
There is also Bruce Hiscock's The Big Tree, which covers a lot of the same ground as Cole's does (although the illustrations, while in color, are not at all in the same league). I guess Cole should get credit for coming up with a different title for his book.
Those studying trees with children might also want to check out Millicent Selsam's Maple tree and Alvin Tresselt's The Dead Tree. These aren't at all like the "life of a tree" books, but do provide a good deal of relevant information. Tresselt's is specifically about an oak, so it might be a worthy sequel to the Cole book, showing what happens when that mighty oak finally dies. It's also full color (and has some of that poetic text I wished for). Selsam's is illustrated by photographs, all black-and-white except for the final one - which kind of supports my earlier point.
The book gets 48 large pages to tell its tale. Most of the illustrations are full spreads with no margins (some spreads feature multiple smaller drawings, often showing gradual change). But, as the book is focused on a single oak tree, the illustrations have a sameness that detracts from its impact. One thing about nature is that it is not all black and white. Even an individual oak tree changes over the seasons, and with no greens, yellow, oranges, reds, or browns, it feels like we are looking an old Xerox photocopy, a pale imitation of the real world. I do believe that black-and-white illustration is important and that it is largely neglected, but I think it works better with different kinds of subjects. This book screams out for color - on at least some pages. This would really help reduce the sameness.
There are some little details about some illustrations worth noting. Cole specifically dedicates the book to Rachel Carson and identifies her as the woman on the back cover. Another illustration features "a naturalist" who could be Walt Whitman (or Henry David Thoreau? or John Muir? or someone else entirely - or nobody in particular) and it would have been nice to know.
I also wonder why the final celebration illustration downplays National Arbor Day (label on a tiny table) and the much larger banner proclaims it "Annual Mighty Oak Day" - a made-up hyperlocal observance. I would think this book could be an ideal tie-in to Arbor Day and the history of conservation.
Unfortunately, overall the text is dull. It is brief, simple, and mostly factual without any poetry, imagery, or spirit. I could wish that Cole as illustrator had collaborated with an author who could present a more lyrical ode to nature.
An example: "In the autumn, leaves turn brown and fall to the forest floor. Earthworms, fungi, and microorganisms and other decomposers enrich the soil. Migrating warblers rest in the oak as they journey south." First, "turn brown" is such an understatement. Maybe they are brown when they are falling, but it's the getting to brown that is so interesting. Not all leaves turn at the same time and in the same way, so we get a variety, a diversity of independence, all moving according to the larger plan. Secondly, the list is poorly constructed - comma, comma, and and. Lastly, "microorganisms" is such an ugly word. The accompanying illustration shows leaves falling from the tree while some fourteen birds of one variety pass through and a bird of another variety simply sits still and watches. Never have I seen such tremendous activity and lethargic inactivity in the same place. I also don't think leaves fall in such abundance all at the same time. I think Cole wanted to have a busy picture and fudged the facts in order to get it. But clearly it's not a great match for the text.
Elsewhere the tree has two squirrels, a raccoon, an opossum, and a wild cat of some sort - all sitting in the tree at the same time, alongside some small birds, while larger birds (and two butterflies) fly through. I don't buy it. It's not true to nature. I'm no great naturalist, but what I have seen is that when a squirrel gets into a tree all the birds scatter, and two squirrels never sit still - they chase. As for the larger animals - all together, just a limb away from each other? Come on. The text says, "Animals make their homes in the massive branches." I don't believe for one second that all those animals shown are living together in that tree. My understanding is that opossums especially are loners. As with the first example, I think Cole really wanted to show that he could draw all these things and the truth of reality got pushed aside so that he could show off his skills (which are impressive). But I don't know that the larger concept is well served by this.
I also am not crazy about the word "humans" - it's so clinical. "Humans build a home near the tree" - who talks like that? Couldn't they be settlers or pioneers or a family or something else?
The last two pages are "How to Build an Ecosystem," and in tiny text let Cole the forestry major wear his science teacher hat. Here he squeezes in concepts and terms that are sometimes not all that relevant to the main topic. I think much of this could have been integrated into the main text in a way that would be less "And now, class, please take out your notebooks for a science lesson".
Some illustrations are absolutely glorious. The guy has chops. I just wish the entirety was done better.
BTW, this isn't the first children's book about the long life of a single tree. Conrad and Mary Buff's Big Tree immediately comes to mind. That book has much more text, telling a story in words accompanied by some beautiful black-and-white pictures (large and small, sometimes not including the tree itself at all), rather than making illustrations the main attraction.
There is also Bruce Hiscock's The Big Tree, which covers a lot of the same ground as Cole's does (although the illustrations, while in color, are not at all in the same league). I guess Cole should get credit for coming up with a different title for his book.
Those studying trees with children might also want to check out Millicent Selsam's Maple tree and Alvin Tresselt's The Dead Tree. These aren't at all like the "life of a tree" books, but do provide a good deal of relevant information. Tresselt's is specifically about an oak, so it might be a worthy sequel to the Cole book, showing what happens when that mighty oak finally dies. It's also full color (and has some of that poetic text I wished for). Selsam's is illustrated by photographs, all black-and-white except for the final one - which kind of supports my earlier point.
May 29, 2025
In this informational picture book, Henry Cole’s masterful and intricate pen-and-ink sketches pair perfectly with his close examination of an oak tree’s life cycle. “Sometimes things happen by chance. A blue jay drops an acorn, and a tree’s life begins” the unseen narrator tells us as a hawk chases the jay through a forest in a lush two-page spread. This visual template continues throughout the story as we see the seed’s germination among the leaf litter, aided by earthworms moving through the soil while nutrients from decaying trees soak into the earth. The little oak’s luck continues although “it is still only a tiny part of the large forest floor.” Cole’s narrative becomes a look-and-puzzle as readers will have to search carefully to find the main character, but also to uncover the many other wild inhabitants busy on the ground: salamanders, chipmunks, insects, a solitary insect, and even a hill of sprouting mushrooms. Time-lapse style illustrations chart the tree’s growth as it becomes a home and source of food for animals and eventually a place “to rest in the cool shade” for native people. The tree’s life is so long that eventually it welcomes a small cabin and then a Cape Cod-style home before becoming the centerpiece of a town’s public green. Though it is still a home for wildlife, “it is also a place for children, for couples, for families…The tree is home” reads the text, as we see diverse people enjoying a massive celebration beneath its protective boughs. A two-page infographic at the close of the book labelled “How to build an ecosystem” explores the oak’s role as an anchor for its interlocking natural community. Cole’s deeply studied illustrations have such detail and depth that even young readers who live in cities will long to stroke the tree’s rough bark, shuffle through the crunchy leaves at its base, and gaze into its action-packed limbs. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
May 22, 2025
When an acorn falls from a bluejay’s claws, that lucky nut hits just the right spot on the forest floor, germinating, becoming first a seedling, then a sapling, and finally, a tree. As it grows taller and stronger, the oak tree attracts various species, including insects, birds, and even chipmunks and flying squirrels. Spreading its branches, it stands tall even while other trees are replaced by homes for humans. As the decades pass, the mighty oak remains stalwart, just as much a part of the town that has grown around it as it once was part of the dense forest. The melodious, descriptive text pays homage to the interconnection of species and the importance of community while noting changes in the tree and its surroundings as well as the passage of time, measured in tree years. Unlike many books about trees, which follow a tree through the four seasons of the year, this picture book depicts the oak tree and its ecosystem over the course of several decades--two centuries, to be exact. The incredibly detailed black-and-white illustrations, created with Micron pens, are shaded, full of depth and movement, so much so that readers will feel as though they, too, are a part of this verdant, bustling ecosystem. Reminiscent in mood and style to Cole’s earlier One Little Bag (2020), Mighty will surely prompt lingering walks in the woods and contemplation of the things that happen by chance. This is yet another impressive work from the always reliable, always insightful Henry Cole.
April 10, 2025
Stunning book by gifted illustrator and writer, Henry Cole (Spot the Cat books, One Little Bag, Forever Home and so many more). This entry into Cole’s illustrious career focuses on the ecosystem of an oak tree, beginning with the acorn and ending with a town built around the towering tree. Each page has only a few sentences covering a single aspect of the oak tree ecosystem and surrounds that sentence with incredibly detailed pen & ink drawings that will lead readers to stop and look for all the hidden aspects of that stage. I breezed through the book the first time and then went back several more times and always found a new creature or non-living element to study. Truly a magnificent book and with its extensions to the learning in the back matter, will fit nicely into book collections serving Kindergarten through older elementary aged students and certainly should have a place in any art teacher’s collection of models for instruction.
This is a must have book!
Thanks for sending me a finished hardcover copy to preview, Peachtree Books.
This is a must have book!
Thanks for sending me a finished hardcover copy to preview, Peachtree Books.
April 26, 2025
I immediately loved the textured feel of the book jacket and the incredibly intricate drawn tree Each page shows this magnificent tree as it grows and other images from the natural world around it such as the earth beneath it, each leaf, tiny insects, birds and more. Each illustration is beautifully and meticulously rendered in tiny line strokes that add texture and life to every 2-page spread. The story relates in uncomplicated prose the story of a tree’s life and this parallels our worn lives and their spans and changes throughout time too. It is a great book because each 2-page spread could be about the seasons, community, accord, flexibility, adaptability. I admit it is a bit sad to think that the one tree’s friends and family all get chopped down for human expansion, but that's not the focus of this story. This tree is proud to be one with the community that surrounds it, even as life changes around it from its birth to where it is now. A real treasure of a story. Love it.
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April 8, 2025The mesmerizing intricacies of the drawings will capture your attention. They are the scene stealers in this picture book. I can only imagine the hours it took to complete the illustrations on these pages. MIGHTY tells the story of the ecosystem of an oak tree as it grows from an acorn dropped by a blue jay to a magnificent tree. The focus is on the ecosystem - or the relationship between the oak tree and the other animals that rely on it. I wouldn’t describe it as a page turning, suspense driven plot, but it is wonderfully pairs science and art. For the child who wonders; “how did that huge tree get there” or loves clearly explained natural science, this is a wonderful gift.
December 29, 2025
I always enjoy Henry Cole's books. They are filled with wonderfully detailed illustrations. This one is the story of an oak tree, planted over 200 years ago when a blue jay dropped an acorn.
Cole chronicles the tree as it grows from a tiny seed to a sapling and then a young tree into a mighty oak. Everything - and everyone - in the forest benefits from the tree. Eventually a small town is built around the giant oak and even more people benefit from its existence.
I think kids will enjoy finding the different insects, birds, and other animals in the pictures while also learning about the tree itself. It would be fun to pair this with another book - Dear Acorn, Love Oak.
Cole chronicles the tree as it grows from a tiny seed to a sapling and then a young tree into a mighty oak. Everything - and everyone - in the forest benefits from the tree. Eventually a small town is built around the giant oak and even more people benefit from its existence.
I think kids will enjoy finding the different insects, birds, and other animals in the pictures while also learning about the tree itself. It would be fun to pair this with another book - Dear Acorn, Love Oak.
May 22, 2025
Henry Cole's books never disappoint and this time, again, his story and illustrations show something to amaze that begins with a chance. A bluejay drops an acorn, in just the right place, and an oak tree begins its life. Throughout the years, growing larger, giving shelter and food to many, becoming part of a lively ecosystem that Cole shows so wonderfully in his incredible black and white illustrations. Added in the back matter is a gorgeous double-page spread showing "How to build an ecosystem", plus a lovely "shout-out" to a bluejay. I enjoyed it very much!
August 6, 2025
Very detailed illustrations of an acorn beginning to grow into a tree, a forest matures, and the very mature tree eventually remains as a center point in a community. Illustrations were rendered using Micron pens on Bristol paper in a monochrome palette.
I enjoyed the double page spread illustration of the succession of the animals living in a hole in a branch from two mammals to four different bird species. Adults who love ecosystems will enjoy seeing all of the species hidden in the monochrome illustrations.
I enjoyed the double page spread illustration of the succession of the animals living in a hole in a branch from two mammals to four different bird species. Adults who love ecosystems will enjoy seeing all of the species hidden in the monochrome illustrations.
April 30, 2025
Through exquisite art and engaging text Cole tells the story of how an acorn can sometimes develop into a thriving ecosystem. Cole's illustrations are so rich that I often feel I'm playing a look-and-find game, because there are so many details to notice.
Hmm, for those looking for "living books," this may be a wonderful option. Though it teaches a lot, it feels like a narrative and story, rather than it just being a series of facts.
Hmm, for those looking for "living books," this may be a wonderful option. Though it teaches a lot, it feels like a narrative and story, rather than it just being a series of facts.
August 15, 2025
Stunning signature Cole art and simple text take the reader through the life of an oak tree--from acorn to 200 year maturity.
Illustrations contain many details and hidden creatures that can keep the viewer on each spread for extended periods.
Adult promotion will be helpful because children are not immediately attracted to black and white illustrations or intricate detail.
Tie-in with:
Art
Autumn
Science units of seeds, life cycles
Illustrations contain many details and hidden creatures that can keep the viewer on each spread for extended periods.
Adult promotion will be helpful because children are not immediately attracted to black and white illustrations or intricate detail.
Tie-in with:
Art
Autumn
Science units of seeds, life cycles
October 4, 2025
Henry Cole created a thorough and beautiful depiction of ecosystems centered around oak trees. His illustrations are deceptive as black and white when, in reality, they are hiding many of the occupants of the ecosystem within the drawings like a complex Where’s Waldo game. I was disappointed by the simple endpapers and then pleasantly surprised by the food web diagram on the interior of the book jacket.
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February 20, 2025Love this story’s opening line “Sometimes things happen by chance.” This is a nice story of how an oak tree begins and how it serves animals, insects, and humans over its long lifetime. I really like the black and white illustrations. They add a beautiful layer to this story. I received an arc for review.
July 11, 2025
Outstanding! Henry Cole's artwork and heartfelt stories are some of my favorites. He is able to express important topics in his illustrations that speak louder than words. A brilliant book about the life of an acorn and how it works in tandem within nature to create an ecosystem. Truly a wonderful book to talk about the world around us. Great for ages 3-10.
November 9, 2025
Henry Cole’s black and white pencil illustrations are stunning and filled with lots of little creatures to be found. His story of the life cycle of this beautiful oak tree will grab young readers attention as they look for the hidden treasures on each page. It doesn’t have the enduring message of One Little Bag or Unspoken, but it has much for children and their teachers to enjoy.
April 30, 2025
Beautiful illustrations and excellent text. There was a lot of info without a ton of words. I can picture myself reading it to kids over and over, because it’s a good story and I enjoyed the illustrations.
October 8, 2025
Full pages covered in B&W drawings of an oak, all its parts, and much of the life around it. Look closely, some of the parts might blend in. In the final pages we see a home, and then a village grow around this huge tree, now in a town square. Last three pages give steps in building an ecosystem.
December 26, 2025
Amazing illustrations in a simple story. I can't imagine how many brushstrokes it took to make these elegant pages. I like that Rachel Carson is pictured on the back. When reading, you need to take time to look for all of the well-camouflaged animals included.
May 7, 2025
The sheer amount and detail of the line work is breathtaking!
May 12, 2025
Beautifully done. Gorgeous artwork combined with short, to-the-point sentences that pack a wealth of knowledge makes for a wonderful read aloud that educates. Highly recommended.
June 8, 2025
Quite but rich and powerful, like a tree. Henry Cole’s illustrations are always impressive, but they work really nicely here. Simple, but still informative. Just great.
July 1, 2025
Stunning illustrations with the tiniest details embedded in each one. You could read this book repeatedly and discover something new each time. Wonderful nonfiction
July 7, 2025
Excellent story and pictures
October 19, 2025
Henry Cole always makes my contest-his illustrations are so meticulously amazing! And a book about a tree-sold!
January 5, 2026
3.5 - dry text, beautiful illustrations
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews