Picture Books about 9/11: The Survivor Tree

Three new picture books about the Trade Center “Survivor Tree” help children relate to the events of 9/11.

As we approach the 20^th anniversary of an event some of us barely remember, parents may wonder who to communicate the horror and tragedy of that event to their kids. Sensitive little ones may be unnecessarily disturbed by videos of falling men and towers, but most 3-6 year-olds won’t have the perspective to grasp what happened. One way to communicate both tragedy and hope is by focusing on a relatable object, such as . . . a tree. The Callery pear tree that stood in the World Trade Center Plaza was seemed an indispensable symbol when it was discovered under the rubble weeks after the event. Carefully extricated, taken to a Bronx nursery, and restored to health, it was returned to the Plaza on the tenth anniversary. Several picture books about the 9/11 “survivor tree” are now on the market, three of them published just this year.

This Very Tree: A Story of 9/11, Resilience, and Regrowth by Sean Rubin. Henry Holt, 2021, 48 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 4-6

The title comes from a poem by E. B. White: Whenever I look at it nowadays,/ and feel the cold shadow of the planes,/ I think, “This must be saved,/ this particular thing,/ this very tree. Though published in 1949, the words are eerily prescient when applied to the Callery pear tree. In this version, the tree tells its own story with striking visuals. The moment of impact, the fire, the smoke, the collapse and fall of the towers is communicated in slab—legs running, people gasping for air, branches breaking—and then a tomb of broken and twisted metal. A beam of light signals its resurrection. All living trees are a parable of hope and renewal, and this one is always the first to blossom in the Plaza. Warm illustrations crowded with human faces makes the message of hope clear.

Overall Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)

Branches of Hope: The 9/11 Survivor Tree by Ann Magee, illustrated by Nicole Wong. Charlesbridge, 2021, 32 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 0-4

Recommended for: ages 4-7

In this version, the tree’s story is told in simple, free-verse text. The parallel story of a New York family: mom, dad, toddler daughter, and firefighter uncle, unfolds with the illustrations. The attack is rendered subtly, allowing grownups to fill in the story with as much detail as little ones can comprehend. As years pass, the girl acquires a little brother and the family celebrates normal milestones, including 9/11 commemorations. By the end the girl, now in her early 20s, has becoming a NYC firefighter, carrying on a family tradition.

Overall Rating: 4

Survivor Tree by Marcie Colleen, illustrated by Aaron Becker. Little, Brown, 2021, 48 pages.

Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8

Recommended for: ages 3-7

This version of the story focuses on the tree as a symbol of nature and turning seasons. The text begins by reflecting on the 30 years of its life prior to the event: springtime blossoms and autumn colors, winter to summer. That peaceful, natural cycle was interrupted on a day of splintered metal and choking dust—again, not graphic but the sense of violent interruption comes through. But nature prevails; drawing life from new soil, the tree picks up its broken rhythm and lives on. Illustrations by Aaron Becker wrap the reader and audience in the colors and textures of nature.

Overall rating: 4

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Review: Aaron Becker also illustrated the highly-praised wordless picture book Journey.
• Reviews: Two outstanding informational picture books: Trees: A Rooted History and The Wisdom of Trees.
• Resource: Our 9/11 booklist from 2016/

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