TeachingBooks
One Million Trees

Book Resume

for One Million Trees: A True Story by Kristen Balouch

Professional book information and credentials for One Million Trees.

See full Book Resume
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  • Booklist:
  • Pre-K - Grade 2
  • Publisher's Weekly:
  • Ages 4 - 8
  • School Library Journal:
  • Grades 3 - 6
  • Kirkus:
  • Ages 7 - 10
  • TeachingBooks:*
  • Grades PK-6
  • Genre:
  • Biography
  • Nonfiction
  • Picture Book
  • Year Published:
  • 2022

The following 3 subject headings were determined by the U.S. Library of Congress and the Book Industry Study Group (BISAC) to reveal themes from the content of this book (One Million Trees).

The following unabridged reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers. Reviews may be used for educational purposes consistent with the fair use doctrine in your jurisdiction, and may not be reproduced or repurposed without permission from the rights holders.

Note: This section may include reviews for related titles (e.g., same author, series, or related edition).

From Booklist

March 15, 2022
Preschool-Grade 2 In this tree-mendous autobiographical picture book, author-illustrator Balouch shares her childhood experiences taking part in a 1979 reforestation project in British Columbia, Canada. After arriving by seaplane, meeting a crew of fellow tree planters, and setting up camp, young Kristen and her family dig into their work with gusto. Short, breezy recollections propel the narration: "Dad and I got our first box of trees from the truck, and he showed me how to plant them." The bright, expansive digital illustrations have a collaged-scrapbook appearance, chockablock with intriguing details including a cutaway peek inside the contents of Kristen's suitcase, a dotted-lined map of the route taken to the planting site, and actual size comparisons between cedar, pine, hemlock, and fir saplings. More environmental information is relayed in speech bubbles sprinkled throughout ("Mom says the number of tree rings tells how old the tree is. 450 rings mean this tree is 450 years old") and conversational annotations ("Baby moose are cute, but don't get too close"). Heartening lessons in ecology, math, and teamwork are smoothly sown.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Booklist

From Publisher's Weekly

February 21, 2022
In an educational tale of forest stewardship, Balouch tells the true story of the 40 days she spent as a child planting one million trees in a clear-cut area of Canada. Bell bottoms abound in vivid depictions of Balouch’s family (including pup Wonder Dog) traveling to British Columbia and setting up camp alongside fellow planters, 24 mostly French-speaking Canadians depicted with varying skin tones. Using easy storytelling, Balouch describes helping her light-skinned mother cook and bake for the camp, and assisting her brown-skinned father with the planting. French vocabulary and math problems are tucked throughout (“I made 4 apple crumbles. Each crumble needed 6 apples. How many apples did I use?”), and an infographic-like spread explains the four-step dig-wedge-tuck-pat process the planters employed with cedar, fir, hemlock, and pine seedlings. 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. Back matter includes an author’s note, which discusses old-growth trees. Ages 4–8.

Publisher's Weekly

From School Library Journal

Starred review from January 21, 2022

Gr 3-6-A charming account of a family who went to Canada to plant a million trees. The story is told through the eyes of the oldest daughter and features multiple learning opportunities: math problems, French words, interesting recipes to try, and plenty of facts about trees. The family camped with several other families and was tasked with planting tree plugs (seedlings) to replace trees in a section that had been cleared by lumberjacks. Balouch uses childlike drawings to give the story an appealing authenticity. The book resembles a peek inside a diary with drawings. There's a surprise ending: The author takes her children back to the site to see the beautiful tree farm she helped plant when she was a girl. VERDICT This excellent resource about conservation and preserving nature has been ably rolled into a delightful reminiscence vividly retold. -Cynde Suite

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

From Kirkus

January 15, 2022
A California family travels to British Columbia, where, along with a mostly French-speaking crew, they plant 1 million trees to revitalize a logged-over forest. When author/illustrator Balouch was 10 years old, her family traveled to Canada to join a tree-planting operation. Forty years later, she recalls the remarkable experience. Readers follow young Kristen, her sisters, and their parents as they journey by seaplane to Vancouver Island, drive through backcountry, settle in to their campsite, and truck to the planting site each day for 40 days before flying home. Loving memories of the desserts Baluch helped her mother prepare for the large posse, a trusty old truck nicknamed Mad Dog, and downtime spent swimming with her siblings add a nostalgic touch. The simply written, straightforward text is rich with interesting information, offering nature-based math puzzles, a step-by-step tree-planting diagram, and French minilessons seamlessly woven into the narrative. Short asides featuring inside stories and snippets of intimate conversation between the young narrator and her family members appear in smaller print alongside the main text. The digital illustrations--rendered in a na�ve 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. The tree-planting gang is surprisingly diverse for the time period, and a Native American tepee is shown amongst the campground tents. An author's note provides further background about the project and explains the importance of old-growth forests. An intriguing tale that will plant seeds of environmental consciousness in the upcoming generation. (Informational picture book/memoir. 7-10)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Kirkus

One Million Trees was recognized by committees of professional librarians and educators for the following book awards and distinctions.

One Million Trees was selected by educational and library professionals to be included on the following state/provincial reading lists.

United States Lists (3)

Missouri

  • Dogwood Nonfiction Reading List, 2023, Grades K-2

Nevada

  • Nevada Reading Week 2024 Book List, Grades K-5

New Jersey

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This Book Resume for One Million Trees is compiled from TeachingBooks, a library of professional resources about children's and young adult books. This page may be shared for educational purposes and must include copyright information. Reviews are made available under license from their respective rights holders and publishers.

*Grade levels are determined by certified librarians utilizing editorial reviews and additional materials. Relevant age ranges vary depending on the learner, the setting, and the intended purpose of a book.

Retrieved from TeachingBooks on February 18, 2025. © 2001-2025 TeachingBooks.net, LLC. All rights reserved by rights holders.