Under Mother Tree

Under Mother Tree is a sweet story about self-acceptance wrapped in the science of tree communication.

It’s Sapling’s birthday, and all she wants is to be tall. She wants to feel the warmth of full sun on her leaves. But she lives in the shade of Mother Tree.

A storm rattles the forest. Bird goes missing. Frog tries to save her but a riddling spider blocks the path. Will Frog rescue Bird in time for Sapling’s birthday party? Will Uncle Grumpy stop being grumpy? Just when you think it’s calm in the woods, CATERPILLARS!

Join Sapling’s wild ride. Maybe being little isn’t so bad.

Inspired by Suzanne Simard’s Finding the Mother Tree, Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees, and The Overstory by Richard Powers, Under Mother Tree is set in a Minnesota forest and illustrated with depictions of flora and fauna typical of the region.

M. E. Delaney is a psychologist specializing in trauma and anxiety disorders. Under Mother Tree is her first children's picture book. She is the author of PLAIN SIGHT and is writing another novel.

Patrice Delaney is an ecologist working to restore prairies in Minnesota and North Dakota. As an artist she enjoys working with watercolors, ink, oil paint, printmaking, and sculpture to promote healthy ecosystems.