by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw
40 pages; ages 5-9
Henry Holt & Co, 2015
Have you ever climbed a tree?
And stayed there ALL night?
This is the story of a girl who climbed a tree and lived high in its branches for two years. It is the story of a tree born nearly a thousand years ago, and a girl born thirteen thousand full moons later.
The tree's name is Luna. The girl's name is Julie, but everyone called her Butterfly.
One day Butterfly wandered into an ancient grove of redwoods. She noticed a tree with broken branches and a large blue X painted on its side. That blue X meant that Luna was slated to be harvested and turned into lumber. Butterfly knew that people needed lumber to build their homes. But trees are important, too. They make oxygen (important for breathing) and provide homes for animals. And their roots hold the soil and keep it from washing away.
So she decides that if she is in the tree, no one will cut it down. Thus begins her lengthy camp-out in the arms of her tree. Many friends supported her, sending food and other supplies up by rope. Butterfly began exploring the tree, discovering a magical cave and secrets of canopy animals. She documented what she learned and shared it with the world.
Finally, after nearly two years, the lumber company agreed to protect Luna and the surrounding grove. You can visit Sanctuary Forest near the town of Whitethorn, CA.
