The Sequoia Lives On
by Joanna Cooke Illustrated by Fiona Hsieh
“Stand beneath a sequoia and anything seems possible.”
August 10, 2018 - The giant sequoia begins life as a seed no larger than an ant yet can grow as tall as three blue whales stacked chin to tale. Sequoias often live as long as thirty human lifetimes—the oldest as many as forty. The largest are so enormous, twenty children holding hands can’t wrap their arms around the trunks!
How do these trees grow so big? How do they live so long? Why should we care about them?
In The Sequoia Lives On, author Joanna Cooke deftly conveys to children the majesty of Earth’s most tremendous trees in lyrical language that engages their imaginations, accompanied by glowing paintings that evoke the magic of a visit to a sequoia grove. We care about these trees because we need the sense of wonder that the giant sequoia elicits from us, and because, despite their incredible age and size, giant sequoias need our understanding.
Sequoias are thirsty trees that grow naturally only on the western slopes of California’s Sierra Nevada—a part of the world prone to periodic droughts made worse by climate change. People have already protected nearly all giant sequoias in public monuments, forests, and parks. Like other natural wonders, sequoias will last if people now and, in the future, want them to.
About the Author: Joanna Cooke is a writer who spent ten years living in the Sierra, working as an environmental educator and National Park Service Ranger in Yosemite National Park. She lives in Jackson, Wyoming.
About the Illustrator: Fiona Hsieh specializes in painting animals and lush, atmospheric landscapes for animated movies and picture books. She lives in Irvine, California.
Purchase your copy at: Yosemite Conservancy online.
Yosemite Conservancy’s Mission: Yosemite Conservancy inspires people to support projects and programs that preserve Yosemite and enrich the visitor experience.
Source: Yosemite Conservancy
