One Million Trees - by Kristen Balouch

About the Book

"A true story about when the author was a little girl and she and her family traveled to Canada to help plant trees to replace ones that had been removed by loggers"--

Book Synopsis

The real-life story of a family who planted 1,000,000 trees--yes, it's true!--to fight deforestation in British Columbia.

When Kristen Balouch was 10 years old, her parents made a surprising announcement: their whole family was going on a trip to plant trees! Kristen, her sisters, and her mom and dad--and their pet, Wonder Dog!--flew from their California home to a logging site in British Columbia. There, they joined a crew working to replant the trees that had been cut down.

In One Million Trees, Kristen reflects on the forty days they spent living in a tent, covered in mud and bug bites, working hard every day to plant a new forest. Young readers will learn a little French, practice some math skills, and learn all about how to plant a tree the right way!

The kid-friendly, engaging text is paired with bold illustrations, full of fun details and bright colors. The story ends with a modern-day look at what Kristen's family helped accomplish: a stand of huge trees growing on what used to be an empty, muddy patch of bare stumps.

An author's note shares more information on deforestation, sustainable logging practices, and the irreplaceable environmental benefit of old growth forests. . . . Plus, the amazing things even a small group of people can do when they work together.

A fun story with an important environmental message, One Million Trees is bound to inspire kids to get their hands dirty to make our planet healthy!

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Review Quotes

★ "A charming account of a family who went to Canada to plant a million trees. . . . Balouch uses childlike drawings to give the story an appealing authenticity. . . . This excellent resource about conservation and preserving nature has been ably rolled into a delightful reminiscence vividly retold."--School Library Journal, Starred Review

"[A] Tree-mendous autobiographical picture book. . . . Short, breezy recollections propel the narration. . . . The bright, expansive digital illustrations have a collaged-scrapbook appearance, chockablock with intriguing details. . . . Heartening lessons in ecology, math, and teamwork are smoothly sown."--Booklist

"An educational tale of forest stewardship. . . . Balouch's rough-hewn shapes, which have the feel and texture of cut paper, attend this idyllic 1970s-era tale about the positive impact people can have when they work together."--Publishers Weekly

"The simply written, straightforward text is rich with interesting information. . . . The digital illustrations--rendered in a naïve art style--are busy, making for detailed spreads that beg to be pored over; they also capture the British Columbia landscape, including its distinctive flora and fauna. . . . An intriguing tale that will plant seeds of environment consciousness in the upcoming generation."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Kristen Balouch has illustrated picture books for other authors as well as written and illustrated her own, including The Little Girl with the Big Voice and Mystery Bottle which was the winner of the Ezra Jack Keats Book Award and Middle East Book Award, and a Bank Street Best Children's Book. She is also a fabric designer and a literary agent. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit her at kristenbalouch.com.