Have you ever wondered if trees can communicate with each other?
Well they can. Recently, scientists have discovered that forests
communicate via underground networks of fungal threads knows as 'the
wood wide web'.
In this picture book for young children, we meet a little fir
tree sapling who is stretching her first leaves into a dark ancient
forest full of huge trees. She feels very lonely and she can't reach any
light or water. Her worried feeling sinks down to the tips of her roots,
which little does she know, are connected to the wood wide web. The
fungal network sends her message all over the forest! "little tree needs
help!"
The message reaches mother trees who can't spare the energy from their
own little ones, others who are sick and can't help but ultimately, one
friendly paper birch tree helps her in her time of need. When the winter
comes and birch tree needs help in return, the strong, not so little fir
tree withe her evergreen leaves can come to the rescue. Our little
tree learns that she is part of a loving, caring community, filled
with family and kind strangers of entirely different species.
She learns all the ways that there are to care and be cared for, and
most importantly that she is not alone. After all, the forest is only
as strong as its smallest tree.
Trees can communicate using up to '50 words' and can send messages
of distress, warn each other about incoming danger in the form of
disease or pests, learn which trees are their parents and which are
their offspring. If a tree is in danger, others can send spare sugars
and water via the network and even sabotage trees they see as a threat.
And they do it all via the wood wide web.
This is a powerful book, that teaches children about a hugely important
discovery in contemporary science, about a secret world beneath our feet
and most importantly, about the strength that comes with asking for
help, and discovering that you are not alone.
