 The Forest in the Trees (Arbordale Publishing, Sept. 10, 2019) explores the hidden forest high in the coast redwood canopy. With informative sidebars, this adaptation of “The House That Jack Built" introduces plants and animals living hundreds of feet above the ground, in the tallest trees on earth—a lost world virtually unexplored until the late 1990’s. As a first-time author, I am excited to share both my book and this amazing part of our iconic, old-growth redwood forests. |
Awards 2019 Eureka! Children's Nonfiction Honor Book
Reviews "The Forest in the Trees creatively writes about the canopy of redwood trees which so few are able to see. The mix of poetic and catchy writing for a younger audience, as well as factual information for an older audience makes this book interesting and engaging for all ages. Everyone can learn something from this book. Ms. McLennan does a great job of capturing an accurate picture of life high up in a redwood forest." Deborah Zierten, Education & Interpretation Manager, Save the Redwoods League "High among the coast redwoods, there exists a world within a world. These towering giants known as redwood trees, which line a stretch of land that hugs the Pacific Ocean, hold various other plant and animal life “high in their branches, hundreds of feet above the ground.” Called a canopy, this secluded world is home to shrubs such as elderberry and gooseberry and ferns mats “soggy and heavy,” as well as sow bugs and pill bugs, “the only crustaceans that live on land,” and Humboldt flying squirrels. McLennan’s trunks-to-lichens tour of the redwoods takes readers on a vivid voyage of discovery…One narrative thread is carried in “House That Jack Built”–like verse that grows the further readers delve in; each page turn brings in a new image to name, a new shade of color to the hidden world. The other narrative, meanwhile, offers up facts for readers, interpreting each pictorial scene in reader-friendly scientific terms….Thanks to the vibrant, earthy pictures, the redwoods’ immensity and swarming life of the canopy are the highlights. Backmatter aimed at sparking “creative minds” adds opportunities to consider further. A busy redwood outing that will...stir readers’ curiosity." Kirkus Reviews |
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The Forest in the Trees
