It's MY Tree!

Abstract

“It’s MY Tree!” is a children’s book created to help increase awareness of the connections between their world and the natural world and promote thinking of others before making decisions. The book began with research into the organisms that depend on the oak tree for both shelter and food. From this research, the story took shape over the course of a year. A picture story book was created to demonstrate to the target audience the interconnectedness of nature and the importance to remember these connections throughout their lives. This was accomplished with a relatable storyline where children follow, through a series of colorful illustrations, a boy their age as he interacts with the nature found in his backyard. The first objective of this book is to demonstrate to early school-aged children the ways humans and wildlife find themselves depending on the same thing, specifically trees. The second objective of this book is to promote the sharing of resources and consideration of others, both human and non-human, to the children reading “It’s MY tree!” A final step in this project is to deliver published copies of “It’s MY Tree!” to environmental education centers and select teachers and naturalists.