Trees: A Rooted History

This expansive volume takes a holistic approach to the topic of trees in nature, history, and the imagination, moving from strictly botanical content into tangential topics. The oversize spreads identify and compare tree species and tree-dwelling animals; substantive sidebars accompany each section. An illustration of tree rings places human history into perspective: “During the lifetime of this one tree, the Olmec, Aztec, and Maya civilizations blossomed and died out.” Spreads explore human uses for wood, show a fictionalized family tree, and depict tree monsters within mythology and literature. Socha’s illustration style vacillates between naturalistic and playful; humans have exaggerated, cartoonish features, while trees and insects resemble specimens from vintage natural history tomes. Through the multiangled perspective, Grajkowski and Socha subtly allude to the way that branches of knowledge cross-pollinate and interconnect. All ages. [em](Apr.) Correction: A previous version of this review transposed the author and illustrator. [/em]