Hello, Tree
By Ana Crespo
Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk
“And the animals ran away. Even the insects tried to flee… The girl and her family left, too. All I could do…was wait.”
Hello, Tree uses the events of the 2013 Black Forest Fire, the most destructive wildfire in Colorado’s history, to give voice to things that cannot run away in the face of danger. The story is narrated from the perspective of a tree that has a very special relationship with a little girl who lives nearby. They have grown up together and cherish each other’s company. The happy images of the book take a dark turn when lightning sparks fire. All the animals flee the forest, but the tree can only watch the flames surround it. When the smoke clears, the tree is still there but the forest habitat is destroyed. Eventually, the forest heals and grows. With the support of the girl and other humans, the tree is once again surrounded by the diversity of the forest. The book includes a detailed section about how forest fires start and how people can do their part to restore forests.
Hello, Tree can be used to teach both an emotional and scientific understanding of the effects of wildfires. Ana Crespo centers the story around key ideas of environmental solidarity and anthropomorphism. The story being narrated by the tree gives the tree human understanding, though Dow Phumiruk’s illustrations do not give it any physical human characteristics. This partial anthropomorphism can help readers understand the emotions and complexity shared by all living things. The story also shares the strength of the forest when everything in it works together for the benefit of the habitat. Ecosystem services are depicted in the story through the relationship between humans and nature, such as the cultural services portrayed through the tree as a friend and support for the girl’s first steps. When fire consumes the forest, climate grief impacts both humans and the forest. All the living things mourn the loss and destructive change that has taken place, but this shared feeling also creates interconnectedness. The community that is consequentially brought together helps to promote habitat succession, the natural process of land recovery. Wildfires are indeed damaging, but they also set the stage to show the resilience of nature. With time, habitats can fully recover and flourish as they once used to.
More:
©2025 ClimateLit (Kate Yapel)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2021
ISBN: 9780316425261
Pages: 40
Lexile Score: AD190L
Format: Picturebooks
Topics: Anthropomorphism, Climate Grief, Ecosystem Services, Habitats, Interconnectedness, Resilience, Wildfires



