We Are Branches
illustrated by Beth Krommes, HarperCollins 2023. ISBN: 9780358538189
Look how we grow:
lifting toward sun,
spreading wide
to catch each
drop of light . . .
how we sink deep
in the soil to drink
and grasp and steady . . .
The award-winning creators of Swirl by Swirl team up to create another spectacular book about patterns in nature. Branches are everywhere: in butterfly wings, on gecko toes, in flowers, frost, and mud. Whether as sap moving through trees, rivers flowing to the sea, or fingers spread wide, branches connect us all. Strong, hopeful, beautiful—branches are the shape of life. How many can you find?
2024 Riverby Award
Mathical Book Prize
Blueberry Award Honor Book
NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12
“Poetic text and
luminous scratchboard illustrations.”
“Explores a fundamental concept with characteristic grace and simplicity.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“A striking study of growing forms.”
—Publisher’s Weekly
“Highlights the interconnectedness of life.”
— Bulletin
While researching my books about nature, I love to take photos. Here are some examples of branching I found, either at home or while traveling!
Spring trees
Rhubarb leaf
Coral fungus
Elk antlers
Frost feathers on window
Monarch on swamp milkweed
Beach patterns
Dragonfly wings
Crocus