A Family Tree
- Subject
- Family - Multigenerational
- Age
- 3-5 years
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 40
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- ISBN
- 9780063242463
A modern-day twist to The Giving Tree, this book chronicles the changes brought upon a beloved family tree that must be uprooted and planted on new land. This debut picture book by Staci Lola Drouillard (Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe descendant) celebrates resiliency, family bonds, and our deep connection to and responsibility for nature.
Grandmaâs garden was not just any garden. It was where a spruce tree, only as tall as baby Francis, reached her roots into the soil and stretched her branches toward the sky. Here, on the shore of Gichigaming, is where Francis and the sapling felt right at home.
But when Grandma and Grandpa decide to move away, Francis wants to take the tree with themâcan they?
Brimming with tenderness, this story from Staci Lola Drouillard (Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe descendant), with illustrations by Kate Gardiner (Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck Indians), traces the journey of one family, and a little tree, as they adapt to change by drawing on the strength of their roots.
About the creators
Staci Lola DrouillardAuthor
Staci Lola Drouillard is a Grand Portage Band of Ojibwe direct descendant. She lives and works in her hometown of KitchibitobigâGrand Marais, on Minnesotaâs North Shore of Lake Superior. Her first book for adults, Walking the Old Road: A Peopleâs History of Chippewa City and the Grand Marais Anishinaabe, won the Hamlin Garland Prize in Popular History, the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award for nonfiction, and was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award. Her second book, Seven Aunts, won the 2023 Minnesota Book Award for Memoir and Creative Nonfiction. Staci works as a radio producer for WTIP North Shore Community Radio and authors the monthly column Nibi Chronicles for Great Lakes Now, a branch of Detroit Public Media.
Kate GardinerIllustrator
Kate Gardiner is a New Englandâbased illustrator. She is a member of the Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck Indians and a graduate of Maine College of Art & Design. Kate has illustrated several books, including her debut picture book, Small Places, Close to Home by Deborah Hopkinson, and Sometimes We Fall by Randall de Sève. She can be found online at kategardinerillustration.com.
Data provided by BiblioShare.
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What reviewers said
"Its delicate message lands hard and is heartfelt."
"Drouillard, a Grand Portage band of Ojibwe descendant, and Gardiner, a member of the Chaubunagungamaug band of Nipmuck Indians, expertly weave together Francis and Gawaandagoonceâs grief and growth, conveying the heartbreak and resilience that often accompany transition while honoring Ojibwe values and language. A poignant illustration of how our roots keep us grounded amid change."
"Drouillardâs inviting text naturally weaves information about treesâ root systems and speciesâ interconnectedness into a story about adjusting to change."
