While a Tree Was Growing

Here is the story of the oldest living sequoia -- possibly the oldest living thing on earth -- whose wondrous life spans the Trojan war (it was 150 years old and 75 feet high when the Greeks delivered their gift horse), the coming of the Buddha, Christ, and Mohammed (by then, two thousand years old, over 270 feet high), the settling of America, and the 1996 Presidential election. Yes, it's still growing, high up in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. Like a unique biological time-line, While a Tree Was Growing juxtaposes the life of a single tree with a chronology of world events to narrate 3,500 years of history, natural science, anthropology, and more. Large, generously illustrated two-page spreads are flanked by columns, with historic milestones on the left and a growth chart recording the treeís progress on the right. Stitched into the middle of the book is a fold-out 11O x 33O poster. Illustrated by Daniel O'Leary.

Jane Bosveld is a science writer and longtime contributing editor to Omni magazine.

Daniel O'Leary is an artist whose paintings and drawings have appeared in books for both adults and children.