Maxine's Tree

by Diane Carmel Léger, Dar Churcher, Diane C. Leger

On weekends, five-year-old Maxine and her family leave the city to visit the Carmanah Valley on the west coast of Vancouver Island. There they build trails, helping to clear a path through the ancient rainforest where some of the world's tallest and oldest trees grow. Eventually one of the old trees, an enormous sitka spruce, becomes Maxine's special hideaway. One day, through a clearing in the trail, Maxine sights a nearby mountain which has been logged and abandoned. For the first time she realizes that her forest and her special tree may also be threatened by the logger's chainsaw. Fearful for the safety of her rainforest playground, Maxine sets out to find a way to save her tree. Her unique solution is as simple as it is effective and has some startling results. Maxine's Tree will convince children and parents alike that one person, no matter how small, can indeed make a difference. A charming story with characters as real as the magnificent timber of the Carmanah Valley, Maxine's Tree addresses an issue that is both universal and timely. Diane LÈger's text gently introduces children to the theme that old growth forests are fragile ecosystems. Dar Churcher's color illustrations beautifully evoke a child's-eye view of the forest.

Genres: Environment, Picture Books

32 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1990

About the author

For 20 years, Diane lived in Victoria, British Columbia, where she taught French Immersion and wrote books in both French and English. She had the incredible luck of living in Emily Carr's home for her first year and, for her last year in Victoria. Her family was involved in saving some of the world's tallest trees on Vancouver Island. Both experiences inspired her award-winning books such as the bestseller, Maxine's Tree.

She is now living near her native village of Memramcook. It was her homesickness for the Maritimes that led her to writing her first book, La butte à Pétard. Published in 1989, this popular novel is the story of a family who escaped deportation by hiding in the woods. Since 1989, this book has been studied in Canadian and Cajun schools. The augmented edition won the Hackmatack Award in 2006.

Reviews

[CanadianReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not overly fond of the childlike artwork in this story of a child's environmental advocacy for a beautiful sitka spruce in British Columbia's Carmanah Valley. Having said that, the book introduces young kids to terms like "clear cut" and "nurse log" as well as the complexity of a temperate rainforest ecosystem. I've used this book repeatedly over the years, and kids have always enjoyed it.

[Terri London Mabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was worried it'd be preachy, but it was lovely! Touching even.