The Tree Who Walked Through Time - A Tree Identification Story is a children’s picture book written by M Carroll and lavishly illustrated by 18 artists who created realistic and fantastical replicas of trees. This book helps children identify different species of trees.

Motivation for this community effort to create a children’s book was sparked by the recent cuts in funding to the arts and art education, particularly as it impacts children. We were also motivated by our great love for trees and desire to aid tree conservation by increasing youths’ understanding of trees. The author and artists are looking for book readers, tree lovers, and art supporters to aid in their cause of money for children’s art education

This book is a flip book, a two-way tale, in that there are two books in one, with two front covers and no end. The Tree Who Walked Through Time is a story of an old Cottonwood tree who takes a stroll down memory lane, exploring the different trees that grow around him. The Cottonwood, named Prairie Prince, has a conversation with a boy who has fallen asleep under his branches. The other side of the book, The Boy Whose Branches Reached the Stars, is the story of a boy named Peter who is unhappy being short and longs to be tall like a tree. He goes on a stroll through the woods, exploring the different trees he might like to be, and eventually falls asleep underneath the old Cottonwood tree.

Each artist contributed at least one tree to the book. As luck would have it, no two artists chose the same species! The artists’ different styles and mediums highlight the unique qualities of each tree, helping the reader learn to distinguish the various species shown.

Each contributing artist had a particular inspiration for selecting their tree. Along with their biographies you’ll find in the book a brief description of why they chose the tree selected. Some of the contributing artists are well known, others yet to be discovered: - Judy Graversen-Algaier - Loretta Hendricks Backus - Kris Barlow - Shelley Barnhill - Maureen Carroll - Jack Cleveland - Lisa Grossman - Stan Herd - Rachel Herring - Paul Hotvedt - Steve Howard - Erok Johanssen - Cathy Martin - Samantha Nowak - Bobbie Powell - Ardys Ramberg - Sara L. Taliaferro and - Libby Tempero

Author Maureen Carroll had never tried to herd cats before setting out to coordinate the work of seventeen other Kansas artists for The Tree Who Walked Through Time - A Tree Identification Story, but she has never known the meaning of the word can’t. A lover of rocks and trees since she was a little girl climbing in the Colorado Rockies, Maureen has worn many hats over the years, including linguist and cultural anthropologist, mom, public speaker, gluten-free cook, teacher, photographer, writer, graphic designer, and all-around Seeker of Truth.

Maureen graduated from the University of Kansas and has taught classes throughout the United States and abroad. I started by asking each artist to select a tree and to show something of what distinguishes that species of tree from others, Maureen explains. Serendipitously, no two artists chose the same tree. A few more were added along the way, including Jack Cleveland’s fractal tree (which may grow wherever the human imagination wanders). I wanted to introduce fine art to children, and to use that art to help them learn to identify different kinds of trees. Ultimately I wanted to serve the purpose of conservation by creating an emotional connection to the trees. My artists gave me more than I could have hoped for, which is wonderful because I wanted to help promote them, too. .