One million trees A true story

In this tree-mendous autobiographical picture book, author-illustrator Balouch shares her childhood experiences taking part in a 1979 reforestation project in British Columbia, Canada. After arriving by seaplane, meeting a crew of fellow tree planters, and setting up camp, young Kristen and her family dig into their work with gusto. Short, breezy recollections propel the narration: "Dad and I got our first box of trees from the truck, and he showed me how to plant them." The bright, expansive digital illustrations have a collaged-scrapbook appearance, chockablock with intriguing details including a cutaway peek inside the contents of Kristen's suitcase, a dotted-lined map of the route taken to the planting site, and actual size comparisons between cedar, pine, hemlock, and fir saplings. More environmental information is relayed in speech bubbles sprinkled throughout ("Mom says the number of tree rings tells how old the tree is. 450 rings mean this tree is 450 years old") and conversational annotations ("Baby moose are cute, but don't get too close"). Heartening lessons in ecology, math, and teamwork are smoothly sown.

In an educational tale of forest stewardship, Balouch tells the true story of the 40 days she spent as a child planting one million trees in a clear-cut area of Canada. Bell bottoms abound in vivid depictions of Balouch's family (including pup Wonder Dog) traveling to British Columbia and setting up camp alongside fellow planters, 24 mostly French-speaking Canadians depicted with varying skin tones. Using easy storytelling, Balouch describes helping her light-skinned mother cook and bake for the camp, and assisting her brown-skinned father with the planting. French vocabulary and math problems are tucked throughout ("I made 4 apple crumbles. Each crumble needed 6 apples. How many apples did I use?"), and an infographic-like spread explains the four-step dig-wedge-tuck-pat process the planters employed with cedar, fir, hemlock, and pine seedlings. Balouch's rough-hewn shapes, which have the feel and texture of cut paper, attend this idyllic 1970s-era tale about the positive impact people can have when they work together. Back matter includes an author's note, which discusses old-growth trees. Ages 4--8. (Mar.)

A California family travels to British Columbia, where, along with a mostly French-speaking crew, they plant 1 million trees to revitalize a logged-over forest. When author/illustrator Balouch was 10 years old, her family traveled to Canada to join a tree-planting operation. Forty years later, she recalls the remarkable experience. Readers follow young Kristen, her sisters, and their parents as they journey by seaplane to Vancouver Island, drive through backcountry, settle in to their campsite, and truck to the planting site each day for 40 days before flying home. Loving memories of the desserts Baluch helped her mother prepare for the large posse, a trusty old truck nicknamed Mad Dog, and downtime spent swimming with her siblings add a nostalgic touch. The simply written, straightforward text is rich with interesting information, offering nature-based math puzzles, a step-by-step tree-planting diagram, and French minilessons seamlessly woven into the narrative. Short asides featuring inside stories and snippets of intimate conversation between the young narrator and her family members appear in smaller print alongside the main text. The digital illustrations--rendered in a naïve art style--are busy, making for detailed spreads that beg to be pored over; they also capture the British Columbia landscape, including its distinctive flora and fauna. The tree-planting gang is surprisingly diverse for the time period, and a Native American tepee is shown amongst the campground tents. An author's note provides further background about the project and explains the importance of old-growth forests. An intriguing tale that will plant seeds of environmental consciousness in the upcoming generation. (Informational picture book/memoir. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.