Stretch to the Sun

The tallest tree on earth is located in Redwood National Park in northern California. More than twelve hundred years old, it is approximately 380 feet tall-and still climbing!

A children's book about how a once tiny seedling, deep in the forest of Redwood National Park, that was protected by the animals and plants that surrounded it, stretched toward the sun to become the tallest known tree on earth. It survived ecological and human threats and flourished for over 1200 years. Logging in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries depleted the coastal redwood population significantly. But the creation of Redwood National Park in 1968 helped to save some of the ancient trees, like this one. The tree was discovered by tall tree scientists in 2006, but in the hopes to keep the tree safe, its exact location is kept secret.


Susan Swan's eye-catching illustrations are made of found objects and hand-painted papers bringing a natural depth and texture to the story.
Peppered with impressive facts about trees and extensive backmatter, Pearson proves that every tree has a story to tell.