Icebird Studio

THIS OLD MADRONE TREE

By Barbara Herkert, illustrated by Marlo Garnsworthy

“This story of the madrone and its animal neighbors will both comfort and enchant children as they come to understand the timelessness of nature’s cycles.

If ever a tree deserved a love letter, it is the Pacific madrone. Barbara Herkert’s poetic story charts the life swirling around this luminous tree, from eagles to elk to hummingbirds to fungi, as it patiently stands sentinel through the seasons of the Pacific Northwest. Marlo Garnsworthy’s gorgeous paintings bring the tree’s scarlet berries, spangles of white flowers, and curls of russet and green bark to life.”

Watch the trailer:

The book includes:

1. a map of madrone distribution

2. an animal identification guide

3. further information for parents/teachers

4. free, downloadable curriculum on publisher’s website

Reviews:

“This old madrone tree has stood above the ocean for a long, long time.” On an island in the middle of the ocean a madrone tree stands tall and proud. In the summer she welcomes herons, gulls, and eagles. In the fall her branches are ripe with berries for robins, flickers, and crows. In the winter she beckons for the animals to take cover from the wind and rain. In the spring she welcomes geese and other birds as her bark glows in the morning light. Deep in the ground her network of roots welcome fungi. As her branches produce flowers bees and butterflies come to feast. Through the seasons and weather and visitors the mighty madrone stands tall and proud through it all. A beautifully told and illustrated story about the wonder of nature and the cycle of life. (Ages 4-8)”—KidsBookshelf

“Fun, memorable, thoroughly ‘kid friendly’ from first page to last, This Old Madrone Tree will have a special appeal for children with an interest in the relationship of a tree to animals, birds, and other forms of life. This Old Madrone Tree is a singularly impressive, creatively original, and unreservedly recommended addition to family, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children.”—Midwest Book Review

“At the edge of the shore, an old madrone tree stood tall. She gladly received numerous guests and travelers by providing them a safe haven and wonderful fruits. Every season brought new visitors, which she relished. Herons, eagles, hummingbirds, geese, and her everyday resident, the fungus, all enjoyed her company. The book is the author’s ode to the madrone tree, elegantly seizing the essence of their optimism while delicately discussing its sacrifice. The illustrations are whimsical and capture the mood of the plot. This Old Madrone Tree by Barbara Herkert, gorgeously illustrated by Marlo Garnsworthy, can help children understand and cherish the beauty of trees and have a greater appreciation of nature.”—Nothing But Picture Books Reviews

"Inherently fascinating, impressively informative, thoroughly 'kid friendly' in organization and presentation, Bristlecone: The Secret Life of the World's Oldest Tree by the team of author Alexandra Siy and illustrator Marlo Garnsworthy is an extraordinary, unique, and unreservedly recommended addition to family, elementary school, middle school, and community library Botanical Science picture book collections for young readers ages 8-10.” ~ Midwest Book Review

BRISTLECONE—THE SECRET LIFE OF THE WORLD’S OLDEST TREE

By Alexandra Siy, Illustrated by Marlo Garnsworthy

A 2023 Children’s Book Council Librarian’s Favorites Award Winner

A 2023 Children’s Book Council Children’s Favorites Award Winner

Interweaving lovely, meticulously drawn pictures with a storyline that spans 5,000 years, Alexandra Siy invites young naturalists to explore the secrets of the world’s oldest trees—secrets of the earth’s climate, recorded in their tree rings, and secrets of the bristlecones’ resilience, as a species that lives in the harshest of environments.

Living for more than five thousand years, ancient bristlecone pines are the oldest trees on Earth. Recorded in their rings are “secrets”—scientific evidence of a changing planet. A volcano erupts in 2036 BC. In 775, a storm explodes on the sun. Lightning strikes in 1122. And during the 20th century, the temperature increases dramatically. What is the secret to the bristlecone’s exceptionally long life?

Alexandra Siy’s lyrical text, paired with Marlo Garnsworthy’s meticulously researched mixed media paintings, reveals the life cycle of the mysterious ancient bristlecone pine.

PIKA COUNTRY—CLIMATE CHANGE AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD

Co-authors: Dorothy Hinshaw Patent and Marlo Garnsworthy, photos by Dan Hartman, graphics by Marlo Garnsworthy

Pikas, tiny rabbit relatives living high in the mountains, serve as an entry point toward understanding the consequences of climate change.

Pikas can’t live in temperatures higher than 77 degrees F. As the Earth’s temperature rises, pikas must keep moving higher and higher up the mountains to find a cooler climate in which to live. Everything is connected in the natural world. As the pikas livable habitat decreases, the lives of hawks, falcons, pine martins, foxes and the many other creatures that prey upon pikas are affected.

If you are looking for an easily understandable introduction to the consequences of climate change, this is the book for you. Glorious photographs and a well-organized text reveal the key role pikas play in the alpine ecosystem. Helpful diagrams demonstrate the food web that includes this tiny mammal and other plants and animals, also threatened by the changing climate. A glossary, map and list of actions kids can take to help decrease climate change are also included.

THE TURTLE DOVE’S JOURNEY — A STORY OF MIGRATION (illustrator)

By Madeleine Dunphy, Illustrated by Marlo Garnsworthy

Part hero's journey, part guided tour, this account of the turtle dove's annual migration carries readers' imaginations into unexplored territories. Starting in the prim hedges of Suffolk, England, instinct drives the dove high into the night skies for a 4,000 mile trip to the savannas of Mali, in West Africa. Along the way there are lonely, moonlit flights above the sea, a cozy hideout in the bushes of Bordeaux, France, a meeting of the birds at Gibraltar, the fountains of Casablanca, winds flowing "like a river" down canyons of the Atlas Mountains, and a Sahara sandstorm churning below. With carefully researched prose and luminous paintings, this book is perfect for anyone who has ever wondered about the mysterious journeys of Earth's feathered creatures.

VOLCANO DREAMS — A STORY OF YELLOWSTONE (illustrator)

By Janet Fox, Illustrated by Marlo Garnsworthy

Reading The West Award shortlist 2018

2020 Treasure State Award 3rd Place, Montana State Literacy Association

2021 Beehive Book Award Nominee, Children’s Literature Association of Utah

Lyrical prose and luminous paintings lead readers on a tour of the Yellowstone supervolcano, from the wolves, elk, bears, and mountain goats that roam its surface to the fiery depths of its magma chamber. VOLCANO DREAMS knits together the vibrancy of the Yellowstone ecosystem with its explosive history, placing the everyday lives of its creatures within the context of geological time. Janet Fox’s poetic text takes us to the root of it all – the “sleeping giant” of magma responsible for the Yellowstone landscape – and Marlo Garnsworthy’s evocative paintings capture the awe of natural forces at work in our nation’s oldest national park.

LITTLE BIRD’S INTERNET SECURITY ADVENTURE (author)

Little Bird is excited to chat with her grandmother via the Internet. But on the way home, she discovers her friends are having trouble while on the web. Luckily, Little Bird knows all about Internet safety. Join Little Bird as she helps her young friends avoid online predators and cyber bullies, computer viruses, adult content, and more.