Mighty: The Story of an Oak Tree Ecosystem

In intricate b&w spreads, Cole (Adventure Awaits) traces the life of a single oak from sprouting acorn to mature tree, detailing its relationship with the changing world around it. Short, documentary-style sentences describe the tree’s growth and the complex ecosystem it sustains across approximately two centuries (“The oak tree’s leaves and branches provide camouflage for the nest, as well as a good supply of insects for food”). As time passes, Indigenous people are pictured resting in the subject’s shade. Later, a pale-skinned naturalist makes notes about the tree, a hole in a branch hosts myriad creatures, and human-built structures appear, as nearby trees are felled and vintage autos of different eras populate the pages. At last, the oak towers over a small town and shelters the stands of a festival the same way it shelters wildlife: “The tree is home.” Meticulous spreads drawn entirely with fine pen combine the accuracy of scientific illustration with the dense patterning of tapestry. It’s easy to imagine touching the oak’s bark and feeling its crisp leaves in this study of an organism living among others. Back matter includes notes on building an ecosystem. Ages 4–8. (Feb.)