Deep Roots: How Trees Sustain Our Planet

by Nikki Tate

Most of us see trees every day, and too often we take them for granted. Trees provide us with everything from food, fuel and shelter to oxygen and filtered water. Deep Roots celebrates the central role trees play in our lives, no matter where we live. Each chapter in Deep Roots focuses on a basic element―water, air, fire and earth―and explores the many ways in which we need trees to keep our planet healthy and livable. From making rain to producing fruit to feeding fish, trees play an integral role in maintaining vibrant ecosystems all over the world. Facts about trees and hands-on activities throughout help readers discover ways to get to know our giant neighbors better.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Childrens, Nature, Canada, Plants, Environment

48 pages, Hardcover

First published February 9, 2016

About the author

Nikki Tate was born in Birmingham, England, but spent her childhood roaming the globe. In Australia, Nikki battled a tarantula, in Banff she was chased by a mother black bear, and in Ontario she wrestled with a Canada goose.

Despite the fact that she has been kicked, bitten, stung, pecked, and sprayed, she has never been able to resist injured, lost, or lonely-looking animals. Over the years, her menagerie has included horses, dogs, cats, birds, snakes, squirrels, rabbits, rats, gerbils, spiders, crayfish, hamsters, and a pond full of koi fish. These critters and their antics often find their way into her stories. Not surprisingly, Nikki's favourite book when she was little was Black Beauty, though she also loved The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and The Hobbit.

Nikki has always enjoyed writing stories and still has the notebooks she used when she was eight years old. She made up stories about animals, plane crashes, outhouses, and Doctor Dolittle's travels in outer space.

A born ham, Nikki danced, acted, and modeled her way through her younger years. She still loves to perform, most often as a storyteller. She also enjoys camping, kayaking, horseback riding, travel, and building big things with sticks and string. Nikki lives on a tiny farm on Vancouver Island in British Columbia with a collection of furred, feathered, and finned creatures.

Reviews

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding children's nonfiction book about trees. Part of the Footprints series of science books that focus on sustainability, published by Orca in Canada. This book highlights the tremendous job that trees do to provide oxygen and even clean up the environment. Includes many interesting facts and asides. Chapters are divided into the elements: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. Love the "Try This!" sections, which feature experiential learning activities. Excellent photographic support for the text. The book has a contemporary look that is well-suited to the pro-conservation subject matter and should appeal to the target audience of upper elementary and middle school students. I will definitely check out the other titles in this series, which all cover important and relevant topics.

[دعاء الدريس · Rating 5 out of 5]

عن كل ما يخص الأشجار
وما فائدتها للأرض
كيف نحافظ عليها

[Margaret]

An hour ago, standing on my front porch as the sky lightened with a new day, the air was literally filled with bird song. Trees reaching astounding heights line the yards of many homes in our neighborhood. These trees were filled with our avian friends calling us awake. Their roots run deep keeping the leaves green even though we need rain.

It's easy to imagine them when they were younger providing space for young adventurers to climb among their branches, perhaps even to the top to see the world from a different perspective. As a breeze blew through those branches, the child hiding among the leaves gently swayed too. In an informative title and tribute to the influence trees bring to our planet and to us, author Nikki Tate as part of the Orca Footprints series wrote Deep Roots: How Trees Sustain Our Planet (Orca Publishing, February 9, 2016).

My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Kelly]

This reads a little younger than middle grade, I think, but it's a serviceable look at trees. Split up into four sections, Tate talks about the way trees have aided in air, water, fire, and earth, including building fires, serving as an oasis in the desert, ship building, and more. The science is basic enough to grasp for pretty young readers, and there's a nice selection of backmatter. Likewise, the images in this book are crisp and full-color.

Which is where my biggest criticism is: a number of the photos are tiny. They're full color and pretty and could make a much bigger impact were they bigger, especially since Tate captions them all to add more context. The "try this" sidebars and the personal anecdote (which were not interesting) could have been scrapped for bigger, meatier photographs.

[Joanne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at how trees affect our environment and how they are affected by it. Written with dozens of personal touches and obvious passion for the subject. 48pp text seems geared for older readers. Extensive glossary and resources. "Try This" side bars on nearly every page call the reader to action. Organized by Earth, Air, Fire, Water, but within those sections, I thought the organization broke down, with random tidbits in bizarre places. Disappointed in many places by generalizations which are obvious to readers of this age.

[Patricia Tilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a treasure and belongs in every school library! Nikki Tate has written a beautiful nonfiction photo journey for middle grade readers to learn about the role of trees in maintaining a vibrant ecosystem, as well as providing food, fuel and shelter.  The story is shown through gorgeous photography, personal stories and facts. The author explains “why trees just might be our best friends, barometers of how we are looking after our planet, and our partners as we move forward to create a healthier world.”

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely enjoyed this book and all of the glorious facts that are trees! Not only are there a plethora of facts about trees, but the way this book is organized makes it so easy to read and find what you are looking for. Between the "Table of Contents", the "Forest Facts", the "Try This", the "Resources", the "Glossary" and the "Index", the reader will have no problem searching for and locating certain factoids! A wonderfully organized and informational book.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic text structure- table of contents, index, glossary, resources, consistent font/text patterns and page layouts, sidebars, interactive challenges.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great nonfiction book! I thought I'd be bored to death reading a book about trees, but it was so interesting. I loved the format. Highly recommend for your libraries!