A squirrel buries an acorn. A dolphin pushes a coconut into an ocean
current. A camel chewing a date spits out the seed. What do they all
have in common? Each one, in its own way, has helped to plant a tree. In
myriad ways and diverse environments, Mother Nature is given a hand in
dispersing seeds that eventually grow into trees. From the apple seeds
falling off the sticky fur of a black bear to the pine seed carried by
an army of ants marching to their anthill, creatures great and creatures
small participate in nature's cyclical dance in the planting of a tree.
Jerry Pallotta, author of more than 50 children's books, visits at least
150 schools each year. His book, The Icky Bug Alphabet Book, has sold
more than one million copies. He is a contributor in Jon Scieszka's
book, Guys Write for Guys Read. He lives in Needham, Massachusetts. Tom
Leonard's children's book art combines a folk-art sophistication with a
scientifically realistic interpretation. He was the illustrator for a
collection of Margaret Wise Brown's previously unpublished poetry, Under
the Sun and the Moon, winning praise in School Library Journal and
Publisher's Weekly. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania