Nonfiction Spotlight: Can you Hear the Trees Talking?

Cover from Goodreads.com

Title: Can You Hear the Trees Talking? Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest

Author:  Peter Wohlleben

Publisher: Greystone Kids

Copyright date: 2019

Target Audience: Middle Grade

Lexile Reading Level: 900L

 

Summary:

Cover from Goodreads.com

Can You Hear the Trees Talking is the young readers’ adaptation of Peter Wohlleben’s New York Times Bestseller title, The Hidden Life of Trees. It’s filled with mind blowing revelations about how trees live as a community in forest settings. Did you know that trees have their own internet service? Or that they sleep at night? How about the fact that trees get pimples? The most important secret Wohlleben shares with young readers, however, is the fact that forests are important and deserve to be saved.of the forest is that it is important and deserves to be protected.

Other features of the book include Table of Contents, Let’s Go on a Journey of Discovery (p. 2-3), which is an author’s note to the young readers about what they will learn in this book, who the author is, and the importance of learning about forest life and the hidden world of trees, Photo Credits (p. 74-75), and an Index (p. 76-78), which gives readers directions on how to use it!

Critique of Contents & Organization:

There are some awesome pictures and facts in this book. Some of the facts are more common than others. For example,

(Wohlleben, 2019, p. 4-5)

 “Of course, there are no bathtubs in the forest, which means that beech trees have to get every drop of water from the ground. They do this using their roots to feel for the spots where it’s nice and moist” (2019, p. 8).

Most middle grade readers will know that trees use their roots to suck water up from the ground. However, even as a person who focused her undergraduate thesis on forest research, I did not know that a

“tree will taste who is nibbling on it. Yes, you read that right: trees can taste. Because whenever an animal bites into the bark, a leaf, or a branch, it injects a bit of saliva into the wound. And every animal’s spit tastes different” (2019, p. 26). 

(Wohlleben, 2019, p. 43)

I really enjoy the simple chapters Wohlleben uses to organize the contents of his book. He provides several Try This! Sections scattered throughout the book that gets readers excited about going out into the forest and doing these simple, yet very eye-opening experiments. There are some of them I’m really excited to try myself (see the Use & Extension Activities section for some of my favorites)! There are also Quiz sections that encourage readers to test their critical thinking skills and extends the knowledge of the text. And lastly, there are several simple photographs that represent the information presented in the text in such a way that draws the eye and helps the readers see the true beauty of nature. After reading this book I just wanted to go out and be one with a forest.


I was kind of upset that Wohlleben doesn’t have a section dedicated to helping students learn more, or cite any of his sources. There is a lot of information here that seems really far-fetched, but a citation to the original findings, or other books that also share the same information, would make his claims seem more scientifically founded. I’m also disappointed because I feel like his adult book has better use of sources. Perhaps part of the problem is that there aren’t equivalent sources that he thinks children will be able to understand.


His adult edition of this book has been causing quite the stir in the science world because Wohlleben gives the trees a very human feel to evoke stronger emotions in the readers (Kingsland,2018). I really like this aspect of the book. I’ve always felt like animals are far more intelligent that we give them credit for, so why wouldn’t trees be the same? I think it’s an effective way to raise awareness and encourage conservationism. It also makes a great conversation piece about knowing your audience and how to write persuasive essays.

Reasons to Include this Title in Your Library Collection:

This book is filled with really intriguing facts about forests. It’s not written like a textbook, but instead encourages readers to go outside and explore the forest. It asks readers to see the beauty in nature and consider all of the benefits it provides us. It speaks to our hearts by using words that allow us to relate to forest as if it were our own neighborhood. It allows for a bit of magic to seep into the real world, ensnaring curiosity and unleashing readers’ imaginations.

There are so many wonderful activities and quizzes built into the book to encourage critical thinking, scientific thinking, and wonder. As a reader of mostly fantasy and science fiction, this nonfiction title is like a dream come true.

Read Alikes:

Cover from Goodreads.com

Title: Forest Talk: How Trees Communicate

Author: Melissa Koch

Reason: This book also talks about how trees communicate and their ecological importance to humans and the world at large.

Cover from Goodreads.com

Title: Are Trees Alive?

Author: Debbie Miller

Reason: This book also looks at the everyday life of trees and explores the comparison between trees and humans.

 

Use & Extension Activities:

•         Discussion about the importance of citing your sources
•         Any of the “Try This!” activities. Some of my favorites include:
• Blowing bubbles using dish soap and a birch log (2019, p. 11)
•  Find the Fungal Internet! (2019, p. 29)
• Try out the woodpecker alarm system (2019, p. 47)
• Build Your Own Water Filter (2019, p. 50) 
• Take a walk in the forest 
•            Read some of the scientific critical reviews with older students and have a discussion about whether or not they like the author’s decision to make the trees feel more human. Ask them why they think the author does this. Where have they seen this tactic used before? Does it serve the author’s purpose?
•         Encourage students to write a story about a tree’s life, from seed to compost. Have them incorporate at least 5 different facts from the book into their make-believe story.

External References:

Kingsland, S. E. 2018. Facts or Fairy Tales? Peter Wohlleben and the Hidden Life of Trees. Bull Ecol Soc Am 99(4):e01443. https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1443