Tree of Life: The Incredible Biodiversity of Life on Earth

Written by Rochelle Strauss

Illustrated by Margot Thompson

If you have been wondering what all the fuss about the environment and or ecosystem is all about and would like to introduce the natural world to your young person, then the book “Tree of Life” by  Canadian authors and illustrators Rochelle Strauss and Margot Thompson is well worth your time.  This book is a comprehensive and well-written discussion of the interconnectedness of all living things on the planet.  Strauss writes in an uncomplicated and conversational style that we can all grasp – from 5 year olds to 100 year olds.  She draws us into the family of life on earth as a participant and introduces us to our relatives….all 1,750,000 of them.

This book is a wonderful approachable way to get your child to climb around in the tree of life and explore its leaves and branches.  Each page is colourfully illustrated by Margot Thompson, who holds a Degree in Biology and  a Diploma in illustration.  She also works at the Royal Ontario Museum as an illustrator.   In addition to the written text, each page has species inserts with brief blurbs about interesting creatures, plants, insects, and biodiversity issues to grab the attention of any reader.  I was mesmerized by the butterfly from New Guinea that is a foot wide and the Arctic Tern that migrates 35,000 km from North Pole to South Pole each year.  These are just two examples of how the diversity and wonder of our biosphere are presented to the reader.

From a scientific standpoint, the book is divided into the 5 kingdoms of life in such a way that young people absorb complicated scientific classifications they will need for future science classes in an easy and appealing way.  Thinking about the wealth of biodiversity on our planet would be overwhelming if it weren’t broken down so clearly in easy-to-grasp sections.  There is a handy Table of Contents and index for quick reference, making this a great book for young people to use when beginning a study of the biodiversity of our planet.  Most importantly, this work grabs your attention and makes you care about our planet.

If you have been wanting to get involved and to get your children involved in making small positive changes to their environment, there is a great section on becoming Guardians of the Tree of Life at the end of the book.  I highly recommend that parents and kids read this book and that school libraries purchase it for their collections.

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