Hello, Beech Tree!

Based on real events, this charming story features a kindergarten class in Brooklyn who pays homage to their beloved lost beech tree and takes action to plant a new one.

When a kindergarten class in Brooklyn discovers that their beloved beech has been cut down, they honor the tree by writing stories and poems, creating art, and placing a plaque at the former tree's site. But they still miss their tree and want to do more. With the support of their teachers and community, they plant a new tree to love.

Rasha Hamid, author of How to Bird, returns with a new story that taps into the power of nature to connect and inspire children wherever they live. Incorporating creative expression, collaboration, and environmental conservation, Hello, Beech Tree! is a lyrical story that highlights student-directed community action.

A section at the back of the book includes discussion questions, tips for taking action in readers' own communities, and information about environmental justice and conservation.

Rasha Hamid has been a special education educator for over 20 years, working in the New York City neighborhoods of East Harlem, Hamilton Heights, and Brooklyn, and in Khartoum, Sudan. Rasha considers herself an educator-activist: someone who works to make the world more just, joyful, equitable, and sustainable through the education of students and teachers. She began creating picture books with her classes to fill the need for books reflecting her students, their experiences, and their passions. In addition to Uncommonly Curious, Eternally Autistic, Rasha is the author of Kadisa ?????, How to Bird, and Hello, Beech Tree!. Rasha is proud to be the AuDHD (autistic + ADHD) mom of an AuDHD young adult. Autism and observing the natural world are two of Rasha's special interests. She attended New York City public schools before earning a bachelor's degree in Africana Studies and Education at Vassar College, and a master's degree in Special Education at Bank Street College of Education.

Sofia Moore is a book illustrator and fine artist living in Las Vegas, Nevada. She finds her inspiration in listening to people's stories and in walking in the desert when it's not too hot. She is a tree lover, too.