The Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World

Hope triumphs over fear in this poignant and impactful true story of the Holocaust--a delicate introduction to World War Two history for older picture book readers.

During World War Two, in the concentration camp Terezin, a group of Jewish children and their devoted teacher planted and nurtured a smuggled-in sapling. Over time fewer and fewer children were left to care for the little tree, but those who remained kept lovingly sharing their water with it. When the war finally ended and the prisoners were freed, the sapling had grown into a strong five-foot-tall maple.

Nearly eighty years later the tree's 600 descendants around the world are thriving . . . including one that was planted at New York City's Museum of Jewish Heritage in 2021. Students will continue to care for it for generations to come, and the world will remember the brave teacher and children who never gave up nurturing a brighter future.

Author: Elisa Boxer
Publisher: Rocky Pond Books
Published: 01/16/2024
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 11.20h x 8.80w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9780593617120
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 553506 / Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World


Award: Sydney Taylor Book Award - Silver Medal Winner


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 10/09/2023
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 12/01/2023
Kirkus Reviews 11/15/2023
Booklist 01/01/2024 pg. 56
School Library Journal 01/26/2024 pg. 1

About the Author
Elisa Boxer is an Emmy-winning journalist whose writing has been featured in publications including The New York Times and Fast Company. She is the author of several acclaimed nonfiction picture books. She lives in Maine with her family and has written this story to honor her Jewish family members who died during the Holocaust.

Alianna Rozentsveig is a Jewish illustrator who was born in the USSR and now lives in a small town in Israel. She graduated from the visual communications department at Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, with a specialization in illustration. This is her second book, and first book published in the U.S.