The Forest in the Tree

How Fungi Shape the Earth

Small Friends Books By: Ailsa Wild, Aviva Reed, Briony Barr, Gregory Crocetti

eBook - September 2020 - eRetailers

The story of a little fungus and a baby cacao tree who work together to survive drought.

This is a story about trees and fungi connected through a ‘wood wide web’ – told by one tiny fungal spore. + Full description

A little fungus meets a baby cacao tree and they learn to feed each other. They cooperate with a forest of plants and a metropolis of microbes in the soil. But when drought strikes can they work together to survive?

The fourth book in the Small Friends Books series, this science-adventure story explores the Earth-shaping partnerships between plants, fungi and bacteria.

Reading level varies from child to child, but we recommend this book for ages 8-12.

- Short description

Reviews

'The Forest in the Tree is an important and beautifully crafted book.'
Jeannie Baker, Author

"Beautifully illustrated, well written, and provides a clear introduction to a hugely important topic."
Merlin Sheldrake, author of Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures

"This book is attractive, innovative, and original, as well as being well-written, well-designed and beautifully illustrated."
Lynne Babbage, CBCA Reading Time, 25 October 2020

"Essential addition to any microbe-lover’s library."
Small Things Considered blog, 21 January 2021

"Yet another magnificent addition to the Small Friends Network collection! Anyone loving microbes must own all of these books (or in my case, multiple copies). They are works of literary, scientific, and illustrative art."
Anne M. Estes, Mostly Microbes, 28 March 2021

"The illustrations are excellent and the story section is well written for students."
Peter Hope, Let's Find Out 38(1), 2021

Details

Features

A beautifully illustrated science-adventure story, created in collaboration with scientists.
Engages children in the invisible world of microbes.
‘The Science Behind the Story’ section allows for deeper exploration of the scientific concepts underpinning the story.
Teacher Notes available to support the use of this book in the classroom.
The Small Friends Books series combines cutting-edge scientific research, rich narrative and beautiful illustrations to tell stories that describe symbiotic partnerships between microbes and larger life forms.

Authors

Ailsa Wild creates stories for theatre and paper pages. She loves collaborating with acrobats, scientists and children and her favourite question is ... But why?

Aviva Reed is a multi-disciplinary visual ecologist who creates immersive experiences to explore complex science.

Briony Barr draws on her skills as a conceptual artist to visualise complex systems and invisible worlds.

Gregory Crocetti combines his microbial ecology experience with science education skills in an attempt to teach the world that microbes are marvellous.

For Teachers

We have created these Teacher Notes as a free PDF download to support the use of this book in the classroom.

Teacher Notes (1.93 MB)