A Notebook of Trees: A Guide to Identifying and Gathering 35 Leaves

Mountain Ash, Scarlet Oak, Box Elder: Each type of tree is its own work of art, distinguished in part by its leaves, which exist in an incredible array of shapes, colors, and sizes. This handsome album offers readers the pleasure of pressing the specimens they discover on their nature walks and notating the specifics of their encounters-while also providing a wealth of information about the world of trees.

The essential collector's guide, A Notebook of Trees offers a lively telling of the botanical biography and surrounding legends and lore of thirty-five common and exotic species, all lushly illustrated in watercolor. To aid readers in identifying their samples, precisely detailed botanical drawings of leaves, flowers, fruits, and branches accompany the descriptions. Like its companion volume, A Notebook of Flowers, this herbarium includes vellum inserts in which to preserve leaves, and an elastic ribbon closure to secure the burgeoning pages.

Budding naturalists can jot down observations in blank entry spaces and cross-reference their findings in indices of common and scientific names.

YVES-MARIE ALLAIN, director of cultural services at the Musée Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle in France, has authored several books about the botanical heritage of France, including Shrubs (Éditions Larousse). He is also a prominent member of various conservationist organizations in the European Union. After completing his studies at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, GERARD MARIE embarked on a career as an illustrator. His work has appeared in advertisements, magazines, and books.