Laura Francesca Filippucci

This is a book I’ve had at home from the library since before the pandemic closed the library. My city’s public library did not have this book so I borrowed it from their LINK+ sister library program.

I love trees. I love trees more than the ocean, other bodies of water, mountains, flowers, etc.

This is a lovely book with beautiful and interesting illustrations (though for me they did not capture the majesty of a grove or forest of trees or even of a single tree) and I appreciate how each illustration/section covers one type of tree and that trees native to many parts of the world are mentioned. In addition to the nature/botany lesson, there is a lot of fascinating information about history and cultures. Quotes and poems are provided throughout the book. Many were too God heavy for my taste but I enjoyed many of them.

I would have liked even more. More trees! More illustrations and information. What is there is very good though and I enjoyed this book. It’s a wonderful tribute to trees.

Wonderful book for all ages.… (más)

Talented Italian artist Laura Filippucci explores the world of our arboreal friends in this gorgeous and very moving picture-book, profiling fourteen different species, and the significance they have had in various belief systems around the world. "Trees are creators," the narrator informs us, going on to discuss the Coast Redwood and Giant Sequoia, and their significance on the Pacific coast of North America. Other trees and traditions to be included are: the Kauri of New Zealand ("Trees Are Ancestors"), the Oak of England and Germany ("Trees Are Temples"), the Cedar of Lebanon ("Trees Are Homes of the Gods"), the Yew of Northern Europe ("Trees Are Gates to the Beyond"), the Kapok of Central and South America ("Trees Are Channels to Other Worlds"), the Baobab of Africa ("Trees Are Givers"), the Sweet Chestnut of Europe ("Trees Are Protectors), the Olive of the Mediterranean ("Trees Are Bearers of Peace"), the Ginkgo of Asia ("Trees Are Healers"), the Banyan and Bodhi of India and Sri Lanka ("Trees Are Founts of Widsom"), and the Bristlecone Pine of the Sierra Nevada ("Trees Are Keepers of Secrets").

I immediately snapped The Universe Is a Tree up, when it came through work, intrigued by both the title and the cover artwork. As a tree lover who enjoys picture-books featuring arboreal themes, and as a reader who appreciates beautiful picture-book art, I suspected I would love this one, and I was not wrong! The illustrations are just beautiful - more than enough to convince me to track down more from Filippucci, who makes her debut as an author here, but who has illustrated a number of other writers' books so far - and the information provided is fascinating. I knew that ancient Norse beliefs involve a tree (Yggdrasil) that stands at the center of the earth, and connects the different realms of existence, but I had no idea that the Maya had a similar belief about the Ceiba or Kapok. I also didn't know about Methusaleh, a Bristlecone Pine that is more than 5000 years old, and is believed to be the oldest living tree in the world, predating the pyramids of Giza! If nothing else, this lovely little volume will emphasize for readers the great symbolic significance that trees have for the world's diverse peoples. Highly recommended, both to young tree lovers, and to anyone who appreciates gorgeous, magical picture-book art.… (más)