Cool Green
Amazing, Remarkable Trees
Cool Green/VERDE FRESCO
A portrait of some of the world’s most incredible trees, seen through the eyes of a landscaper who loves them—and his granddaughter who is beginning to understand why.
Why am I in awe of trees?
Trees are astounding!
Let me share with you, mi niña,
some of the reasons why.
As he works with his young granddaughter to nurture a potted sapling, a Latino landscaper shares his love and admiration of trees. From the extraordinary rainbow gum tree to the mighty, towering redwood, each of the thirteen specimens he tells of is a miracle of the natural world—and some are strange beyond the wildest imagining. Brimming with exuberance and color, this ode to trees of the world—and the vast knowledge of landscapers and gardeners—offers a feast for the eyes, with author-illustrator Lulu Delacre paying touching tribute by imbedding seeds, fronds, and leaves within her art. Complete with an author’s note, glossary, and further information on the featured trees, Cool Green will have readers eager to turn the pages to discover each new reminder his is where the book overview will go.
The process
ABOUT THE STORY
I'm an avid gardener, drawn to nature since I was a little girl. In late 2019 I saw an exhibit on trees. In it I learned about mother trees, the symbiotic relationship between fungi and trees, and how trees help each other. Extensive research deepened my knowledge about what trees do for humans and the earth. Then, in 2020 I noticed how Latino landscapers fell into the category of essential workers. In my long hikes through our National Parks, the idea of blending these two sets of facts into a story came to me. And the books Cool Green: Amazing, Remarkable Trees and Verde fresco, Árboles asombrosos y extraordinarios were born.
ABOUT THE ART
The trees highlighted in this collection are each astounding in their own way. So I sought a clear interesting way to portray them. I decided to blend graphic shapes with accurate height and girth of specimens. I represented the surrounding animal life to hint of tree size scale. In an echo of scientific observation I collected on my own, or sought from arboretums, leaves, twigs, cones, bark, and flowers of each species. I used some of the collected specimens to create textured hand printed papers. Finally, I selected a few chosen specimens to adhere to the art. It’s my own way of modeling for readers to do the same with trees they particularly like.
SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Trees are cool Green
Which is the tallest tree in the world? Which one the heaviest? How can a tree have bark like a rainbow? Is there a tree that goes back to the time of the dinosaurs? Do trees talk to each other? Which one is your favorite tree? Why trees? Lulu explains the process of creating Cool Green and Verde fresco and reveals how to tap into your heritage, and interests, to come up with stories. End with a choice of planting a “moringuita” in a pot provided by the school or with Lulu guiding the audience into a short writing exercise about a favorite tree. Binlingual. Q&A time included.
reviews + AWARDS
Skipping Stones Honor Award
CBC Hot of the Press Reading List
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award Recommended Title
“Trees are a wonder of Nature, if not THE wonder. Lulu Delacre’s engaging children’s book about trees is for everyone... I will be reading this book to my grandchildren until they have children of their own.”—W. John Kress, PhD, Distinguished Scientist and Curator Emeritus, Smithsonian Institution
"Cool Green is a beautiful and informative introduction to some of the world's most fascinating trees."—Margarita Engle, Newbery Honor winning author of The Surrender Tree, and Young People's Poet Laureate Emeritus
“Remarkably, Delacre has incorporated leaves from the actual trees into the book’s vivid illustrations… a deep dive into a fascinating aspect of the natural world…A thought-provoking arboreal exploration”—Kirkus Reviews
“this poetic picture book introduces young readers to ‘some of the reasons why trees are astounding’ . . . a solid entrée.”— Booklist
"affectionate verse…perspective-oriented illustrations…hinting at the many ways in which trees are cool green" —Publishers Weekly
" Delacre’s declaration of the essential role of trees is admirable and should be heeded by all; in text and pictures she makes clear their beauty and uniqueness."—School Library Journal
“Cool Green takes readers on a trip around the world, led by a grandfather with his granddaughter, introducing readers to a range of trees in lyrical text punctuated by fascinating information accompanied by informative and varied illustration… a gorgeous book” –Maria Salvadore, Reading Rockets
“a tender and lyrical ode to the trees of the world, with a strong backbone in research…Delacre’s illustrations, like the trees she features, brim with life.”–Amaris Castillo, Latinx in Publishing
“A fantastic addition to our homeschool library, and definitely a book I see us referencing again and again.”—Cherokee Crum, YA Book Central
“beautifully written and illustrated book”—Excellent Rating, Youth Services Book Reviews