“The tree stood straight and proud at the foot of the tower that filled its sky. It grew mostly unnoticed, silently marking the seasons.” The illustration shows a small pear tree, its leaves bright orange and falling into little piles in the middle of a busy New York City street scene. A cutaway at the bottom of the picture shows what’s underground—its roots, growing next to brick foundations and sewer pipes. A few pages in, the same tree is shown 30 years later, as it cycles through the seasons, “Winter, spring, summer … ” The view pulls back, and there is the tree standing between the Twin Towers, just before the first of two airplanes flies into them. “Fall.” A hauntingly spare text keeps the focus on the tree, which somehow withstood the crush of rubble. Although most of the tree was destroyed, there were still a few green shoots found among the ruins. The tree was moved, and transplanted into good soil. After ten years of growth and recuperation, it was returned to the site where the towers once stood. The powerful watercolor and colored-pencil illustrations are at once colorful and somber, perfectly complementing the reflective tone of the narrative. (Ages 4-9)

This hopeful story of a resilient tree that grew (and still grows) at the base of the twin towers is a simple introduction for young readers to gain an understanding of September 11th and the impact it had on America.

One September day, the perfect blue sky exploded. Dust billowed. Buildings crumbled. And underneath it all, a tree sprouted green leaves in its distress. Pulled from the wreckage, the tree saw many seasons pass as it slowly recovered far away from home. Until one day, forever scarred and forever stronger, it was replanted at the 9/11 Memorial.

This story of the real Survivor Tree uses nature's cycle of colors to reflect on the hope and healing that come after a tragedy--and assures readers of their own remarkable resilience.