I admit that our tree unit was just as much for me and my husband as for our kids. We all love to be outdoors, especially in the forest, and this list helped us better identify and appreciate the trees around us. The selections here represent the full life cycle of trees, from seed to decomposing log, and, as in all our science units, I’ve included a bit of history, literature, and art, too, to show the breadth and beauty of these arboreal wonders. Now in our yard and in the forest, there’s more to explore and more to enjoy.

1. Watch The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot about That: Breeze from the Trees!
2. Celebritrees: Historic & Famous Trees of the World by Margi Preus and Rebecca Gibbon
3. Hop, Bunny! Explore the Forest by Susan Neuman
4. In a Nutshell by Joseph Anthony and Cris Arbo
5. In the Woods: Who’s Been Here? by Lindsay Barrett George
6. A Leaf Can Be… by Laura Purdie Salas and Violeta Dabija
7. A Log’s Life by Wendy Pfeffer and Robin Brickman
8. Nature’s Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests by Gail Gibbons
9. Old Elm Speaks: Tree Poems by Kristine O’Connell George and Kate Kiesler
10. Once There Was a Tree by Natalia Romanova and Gennady Spirin
11. Seed by Seed: The Legend and Legacy of John “Appleseed” Chapman by Esmé Raji Codell and Lynne Rae Perkins
12. Seed to Plant by Kristin Baird Rattini
13. Sky Tree by Thomas Locker
14. Song of the Trees by Mildred D. Taylor
15. A Tree Is a Plant by Clyde Robert Bulla and Stacey Schuett
16. A Tree Is Nice by Janice May Udry and Marc Simont
17. The Tree Doctor by Tish Rabe and Tom Brannon
18. Trees, Leaves, and Bark by Diane Burns and Linda Garrow
19. Who Will Plant a Tree? by Jerry Pallotta and Tom Leonard
20. Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro and Loretta Krupinski