Picture Books about Nature: Be Thankful for Trees, Yoshi and the Ocean, and The Whale Who Swam Through Time

The Blessing of a Tree

Be Thankful for Trees by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald. Red Comet Press, 2022, 80 pages.

Reading Level: Picture book, ages 0-4

Recommended for: ages 2-5

The subtitle is, “A tribute to the many and surprising ways trees relate to our lives.” So let’s count the ways: trees contribute to our food supply, our comfort, our music, our art, our recreation, our homes, and our lives in general. Without them, would we have any of these things? Once you’re finished with this book, you’ll realize . . . probably not. This isn’t a science book about photosynthesis or the oxygen exchange. In some ways, it’s not a “nature” book at all, but an appreciation both for nature and the natural creative ability of humans to make use of it. The comfortably rhyming text is perfect for 3- and 4-year-old lapsitters, and the plethora of pages, most with only one line of text, keeps their interest with lively pictures. We’re not told who to be grateful to, but Christian parents can easily fill in that blank.

Overall Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

Worldview/moral value: 4Artistic/literary value: 4.5

Yoshi and the Ocean: A Sea Turtle’s Incredible Journey Home by Lindsay Moore. Greenwillow, 2022, 64 pages.

Ocean Odyssey

Reading Level: Picture book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 6-10

Before she had a name, she was an egg . . . Until the size of her small world and the voice of the waves made her restless. They drew her out of her egg, down the slope of a moonlit beach, and into the surf.

In 1997, Japanese fishermen captured an injured loggerhead sea turtle, whom they named Yoshitaro. The fishermen delivered her to Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa, where she was healed and kept for 20 years as a popular attraction. But sensing her restlessness, researcher at the Aquarium began training her for life in the ocean. After gluing a tracker to her back, they released her into the coastal waters in December 2017. Thus began a journey of three years and 25,000 miles, ending in western Australia—or probably not ending. That’s just when her tracker stopped working.

Beautiful watercolor illustrations imagine her long swim through dark abysses and thriving coral reefs, under starbright skies and flashing sun. The lyrical text  murmurs like rolling waves as Yoshi sends a signal every time she surfaces for air: Hello from Yoshi. I am here. Eight appendix pages provide scientific backup for the oceanography, biology, and satellite technology involved in Yoshi’s fascinating journey.  

Overall Rating: 4.5

Worldview/moral value: 3.5Artistic/literary value: 4.75

The Whale Who Swam through Time: A 200-Year Journey in the Arctic by Alex Boersma, Roaring Brook, 2022, 48 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 5-10

A Bicentennial Beast

“This is a story about a whale who will live a very, very long time.” Bowhead whales, the longest-living mammals on earth, have been known to live up to 200 years. Nobody knows exactly why, though humongous size and a lack of natural predators may have something to do with it. They live their lives entirely in the Arctic waters, occasionally hunted by Indigenous peoples but generally left alone to slurp their plankton in peace. This beautifully illustrated book follows a female bowhead’s lifespan from birth (ca. 1820!) through adolescence, adulthood, and what must pass for old age, as technological advances reach even to the North Pole.

A 7-page appendix supplies more information on bowhead whales and their incredible lifespan (including how we know they live that long), along with a history of the region and other species that make their home there. A fascinating addition to a young nature-lover’s store of knowledge.

Overall Rating: 3.75

Worldview/moral value: 3.5Artistic/literary value: 4

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Also at Redeemed Reader:

Reviews: We’ve reviewed some beautiful books about trees, including The Wisdom of Trees and Trees: A Rooted History.Review: Trapped in Terror Bay offers a human perspective on the frozen north, as experienced by the men of the doomed Franklin Expedition.Resource: See our list of “Nature Study Books to Spark Creation Appreciation.”

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