Cool Green: Amazing, Remarkable Trees

A portrait of some of the world’s most incredible trees, seen through the eyes of a landscaper who loves them—and his granddaughter who is beginning to understand why.

Why am I in awe of trees?
Trees are astounding!
Let me share with you, mi niña,
some of the reasons why.

As he works with his young granddaughter to nurture a potted sapling, a Latino landscaper shares his love and admiration of trees. From the extraordinary rainbow gum tree to the mighty, towering redwood, each of the thirteen specimens he tells of is a miracle of the natural world—and some are strange beyond the wildest imagining. Brimming with exuberance and color, this ode to trees of the world—and the vast knowledge of landscapers and gardeners—offers a feast for the eyes, with author-illustrator Lulu Delacre paying touching tribute by imbedding seeds, fronds, and leaves within her art. Complete with an author’s note, glossary, and further information on the featured trees, Cool Green will have readers eager to turn the pages to discover each new reminder of what a precious place our earth is.

This globe-trotting, poetic homage pays tribute to some of nature’s most unusual trees. . . a deep dive into a fascinating aspect of the natural world. . . . A thought-provoking arboreal exploration.
—Kirkus Reviews

This poetic picture book introduces young readers to "some of the reasons why trees are astounding." . . . Illustrations done in acrylic paint, stamped leaf prints, and "collaged specimens" are able to provide interesting details and dynamic angles of the fascinating flora.
—Booklist

Readers learn about each tree by following the path of a young girl and her abuelo as they work together checking on and caring for trees. . . . Delacre’s declaration of the essential role of trees is admirable and should be heeded by all; in text and pictures she makes clear their beauty and uniqueness.
—School Library Journal

Coconut palms, monkey puzzles, baobabs, and many others appear in this stylized visual celebration of trees’ many magnificent features. An opening exchange between a Latinx-cued child and their abuelo (“Why am I in awe of trees?/ Trees are astounding!”) frames affectionate verse that highlights the surprising characteristics of coniferous and deciduous varieties alike.
—Publishers Weekly

Cool Green is a beautiful and informative introduction to some of the world’s most fascinating trees.
—Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor–winning author of The Surrender Tree and Young People’s Poet Laureate Emerita

This poetic text . . . describes in child-appropriate terms the characteristics of trees around the world that show ecological diversity and adaptation, as seen through the eyes of a landscaper and his granddaughter. . .Fuller explanations about the trees are in the back of the book, with text and pictures by an award-winning author/illustrator.
—The Pioneer Press

Lulu Delacre is an award-winning and best-selling author and illustrator of many children's books, including ¡Olinguito, de la A a la Z!, which was an Orbis Pictus Honor book; Lucy Soars; and Turning Pages by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. She is also a three-time Pura Belpré Honor recipient, most recently for The Storyteller’s Candle by Lucía M. González. Born in Puerto Rico to Argentinian parents, Lulu Delacre now lives in Washington, DC.

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