A poetic narrative describes what an unnamed narrator imagines it would be like to be a tree. “If I were a tree, I know what I’d feel. The warmth of the sun, and squirrels on the run. I’d feel nests on my bark, bats hiding till dark.” Five double-page spreads each focus on one of the five senses, from the perspective of a tree, followed by the repeated line, “If I were a tree, that’s what I’d feel [taste, smell, hear, see].” The visual story follows a multiracial family as they go camping and experience nature with all their senses themselves. The artist used traditional printmaking techniques that were then digitally collaged, giving the artwork texture and depth. An endnote encourages young children to learn more about trees and tree identification by using their five senses. (Ages 4-8)

Two siblings journey into the woods in a tender story of branching out and new growth from acclaimed writer Andrea Zimmerman and New York Times bestselling illustrator Jing Jing Tsong.

If I were a tree, I know how I'd be.
My trunk strong and wide, my limbs side to side,
I'd stand towering tall, high above all,
My leaves growing big, and buds on each twig.
If I were a tree, that's how I'd be.

The sister has camped in the forest many times before. The brother is nervous for his first overnight trip. As the illustrations in this multifaceted picture book show the siblings discovering the woods, the text celebrates the strength and grace of the trees that surround them, through evocative verse that speaks to all five senses:

If I were a tree, I know what I'd smell.
Sweet honey and bees, and skunk on the breeze.
I'd smell smoke in the air, the breath of a bear,
Old fungus decay, and rain on the way.
If I were a tree, that's what I'd smell.

And with this new knowledge, the siblings are able to overcome their greatest challenge yet. Together, Andrea Zimmerman's wise poem and Jing Jing Tsong's kaleidoscopic art show how connections with the natural world can inspire us to live fully in the present and look hopefully to the future.