Zee Grows a Tree

Praise

On the day that Zee was born, a Douglas-fir seedling planted on her parents’ Christmas tree farm began growing. As Zee grew up and developed, so did the tree. This beautifully designed picture book follows their development, showing readers how Zee and the tree changed and grew over time…This title is a brilliant combination of storytelling and factual information. The narrative celebrates a caring family and a young girl’s growing love of nature. The information adds to readers’ understanding and appreciation of the natural world. Highly recommended.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

A little girl and a Douglas fir grow together on a Christmas tree farm…Informative factual text about Douglas firs and their care accompanies each stage of Zee’s and her tree’s parallel growth while gentle, realistic illustrations, rendered in soft color washes, visually chronicle their emerging relationship. Zee and her parents present White. A delightful blend of fact and fiction.
—Kirkus Reviews

In simple prose, Rusch details Zee’s life from birth to age eight, paralleling her yearly milestones with the tree’s, the growth of which is bolstered by the compassionate care the child provides. . . Hillenbrand’s mixed-media illustrations employ a soft, classic picture book style, with dot-eyed human figures in a sweet, friendly palette. Aspiring botanists will welcome this detailed examination of Douglas-firs.
—Publishers Weekly

Sure to earn a place in your heart.
—Let’s Grow