Strange Trees: And the Stories Behind Them [Hardcover]

Have you ever heard of the Strangler Tree? The Bubblegum Tree? The Upside-Down Tree? How about trees with horns, bottles, sausages, crowns, and ones that walk or even explode? Crazy, maybe, but true. Find out more about these, and many others, in this colorfully illustrated collection of the most bizarre—but real—trees from around the world, once again reminding us that the art of nature is far stranger than fiction. The perfect book for inquisitive naturalists with imaginations,Strange Treesalso includes a map of the world showing where the trees grew.Bernadette Pourquié lives in Paris and has worked in publishing and written prior books for young readers.

Designer Cécile Gambini has illustrated numerous children's books and lives in France near many beautiful, if ordinary, trees.“A delightful picture book for children 6 and up. But tree-hugging adults will love it, too.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer“Unusual trees personally enlighten readers about their unique features, share stories about myths they have inspired, and discuss some of the animals and people they have encountered.… The illustrations are charming and the stories and details about the trees are fascinating—some explode, others can be a source of French fries.” —Natural History Magazine“The chewing gum tree, the upside-down tree, and the rainbow tree sound like fictional botanicals straight out of a children’s tale, but they are just three of the very real types of odd trees found in this vividly rendered book…. Through beautiful images and concise descriptions, these 16 unusual species provide fodder for a high-interest read.” —Booklist Online“The book provides the best kind of learning—the kind that happens without the learner realizing it, the kind that gives the reader a thrill of discovering something novel.… Artl³3