Interweaving lovely, meticulously drawn pictures with a story line that spans 5,000 years, Alexandra Siy invites young naturalists to explore the secrets of the world's oldest trees-secrets of the earth's climate, recorded in their tree rings, and secrets of the bristlecones' resilience, as a species that lives in the harshest of environments.
“Inherently fascinating, impressively informative, thoroughly 'kid friendly' in organization and presentation, Bristlecone: The Secret Life of the World's Oldest Tree is an extraordinary, unique, and unreservedly recommended addition to family, elementary school, middle school, and community library Botanical Science picture book collections for young readers ages 8-10.”—Midwest Book Review
"As beautifully illustrated as it is informative, this enchanting and engaging book takes readers ages 5 to 9 on a journey through time. Through the lens of an ancient bristlecone pine's lifecycle, the story of the world's oldest trees blends science and secrets to draw readers into a surprisingly nuanced tale of history, biology, and ecological awareness that delights while it teaches."—Dr. Matthew Salzer, Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research
"Ancient bristlecone pines are the oldest trees on earth and have lived for more than 5,000 years. Within their rings are the secrets of the past. From volcanic eruptions and droughts to insect attacks and lightning strikes, each pattern of the rings tells us what the tree has experienced. These trees live in the harshest conditions and grow slowly across California, Nevada, and Utah. With "branches flexing, needles sunning, sugar surging, sap flowing, roots soaking—the seedling grows, ring by ring." A beautifully told and illustrated story about the world's oldest tree. Readers will also find a glossary of terms used in the book, a life cycle of the tree, and a field guide to some of the animals that live in the ancient bristlecone forest."—KidsBookshelf
“Siy and Garnsworthy have created a picture book for all ages that is creative nonfiction at its best. It spotlights STEAM, including an "A" for "art" plus science that shows us HOW we know while infusing a desire to WANT to know. It innovatively includes suspense, romance, and wonder in a tale of these battle-scarred heroes of the plant kingdom.”—Vicki Cobb, Founder/President of iNK Think Tank, Inc.
