Little Tree and the Wood Wide Web

*2024 Giverny Award Winner*

Have you ever wondered if trees can communicate with each other? Well they can. Recently, scientists have discovered that forests communicate via underground networks of fungal threads knows as ’the wood wide web’.

In this picture book for young children, we meet a littlefir tree sapling who is stretching her first leaves into a dark ancient forest full of huge trees. She feels very lonely and she can’t reach any light or water. Her worried feeling sinks down to the tips of her roots, which little does she know, are connected to the wood wide web. The fungal network sends her message all over the forest! ＂little tree needs help!＂

The message reaches mother trees who can’t spare the energy from their own little ones, others who are sick and can’t help but ultimately, one friendly paper birch tree helps her in her time of need. When the winter comes and birch tree needs help in return, the strong, not so little fir tree withe her evergreen leaves can come to the rescue. Our little tree learns that she is part of a loving, caring community, filled with family and kind strangers of entirely different species.

She learns all the ways that there are to care and be cared for, and most importantly that she is not alone. After all, the forest is only as strong as its smallest tree.

Trees can communicate using up to ’50 words’ and can send messages of distress, warn each other about incoming danger in the form of disease or pests, learn which trees are their parents and which are their offspring. If a tree is in danger, others can send spare sugars and water via the network and even sabotage trees they see as a threat. And they do it all via the wood wide web.

This is a powerful book, that teaches children about a hugely important discovery in contemporary science, about a secret world beneath our feet and most importantly, about the strength that comes with asking for help, and discovering that you are not alone.

Lucy Brownridge is an author and editor of children’s books based in London. She writes books for children about history of art, history, animals, and science. She has an MA in history of art from the Courtauld Institute of Art and a BA in history of art from the University of Bristol.