Tree

A journey of wonder and discovery from multi-award-winning picture book creators Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft, exploring the life in and around a mighty mountain ash, including a stunning fold-out page showing the full length of the tree.

Can you see the forest on this misty-morning mountain? Can you see where the tree stands? It is the tallest in this forest of tall trees. This tree is older than those who find it, younger than the land it grows from. Between sapwood and heartwood, water rises and energy flows. Listen to the leaves bustle. Smell the forest air. This is the world of the tree.

In the vein of Iceberg - marrying deep scientific research, lyrical language and stunning illustrations - multi-award-winning and highly acclaimed creators Claire Saxby and Jess Racklyeft return with a change in environment, from ocean to land. Their new collaboration follows a mighty tree, from the bottom of its roots up to the tips of its upper branches.

Iceberg won the CBCA Picture Book of the Year Award and was a Notable Book in the Eve Pownall Awards.

About the Author

Claire Saxby was born in Melbourne, moved to Newcastle as a toddler and to Bougainville Island in PNG when she was ten. She attended many schools around Australia before studying in Melbourne to become a podiatrist. For several years Claire worked in community health while simultaneously writing for children. Her books fall into three main categories: our wonderful world, history and humour.

Claire's work has won several awards including CBCA Picture Book of the Year, CBCA Honour Book, a NSW Premier's Literary Award, a SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, an Environment Award for Children's Literature, an Educational Publishing Award and the Whitley Award multiple times. She is widely curious about just about everything and passionate about encouraging curiosity and wonder.

www.clairesaxby.com

About the Illustrator

Jess Racklyeft creates a variety of illustrated things – picture books, paintings, prints, pins and cards – mainly in watercolours. She works from her Melbourne home studio with her cat and dog at her feet, and occasionally one of her kids joins in too. Her art often combines collage – either on paper or digitally assembled – experimentation and lots of watercolour.

Jess worked in publishing sales for almost a decade before making the leap to full-time illustration, and since then has won several illustration accolades including CBCA Picture Book of the Year for Iceberg (written by Claire Saxby). Her work can now be found in bookshops and libraries across Australia, and her days are happily spent in a messy studio or on school visits.

www.jessesmess.com