Leave the Trees, Please

A simple but powerful poem by the late, great Benjamin Zephaniah is given new life in this thought-provoking picture book. With a memorable rhythm, rhyme and chorus the text has a strong message about the importance of trees for the living creatures who make their homes in them, for our atmosphere and well-being.

Award winning illustrator Melissa Castrillón has taken this poem and woven an absorbing visual narrative around it depicting a young child whose special place is a wonderful old tree. We watch as the boy grows up, falls in love and has a child of his own, the tree central to the key moments in his life. When the tree is under threat, he leads a campaign to save it.

The illustrations are rich with detail throughout including the end papers of oak leaves where there are lots of living things to spot.

There is the suggestion that the poem was inspired by an ancient tree known and loved by the poet.  The message has particular resonance in the light of recent high-profile stories of tree felling. The back of the book includes some information about Benjamin Zephaniah, his legacy and passion for environmental concerns.