Luna & Me: The True Story of a Girl Who Lived in a Tree to Save a Forest

by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw, Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw (Illustrator)

Overview

Once there was a redwood tree—one of the world's largest and tallest trees, and one of the oldest. And once, born nearly a thousand years after the tree first took root, there was a girl named Julia, who was called Butterfly.

When exploring her beloved forest, Butterfly wandered into a grove of ancient trees. One tree had broken branches and a big blue "X" on the side. It was going to be chopped down. Butterfly climbed up into the tree. A tree wouldn't be cut down if it had a person living in it. This is the story of Julia Butterfly Hill and Luna, the redwood tree she lived in for two years, never once coming down. That is, not until Luna's future was safe.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805099768
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	05/12/2015
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	206,331
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 9 Years

About the Author

Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw is the author and illustrator of My Travelin' Eye and Same, Same But Different, for which she won the Ezra Jack Keats New Illustrator Award and the South Asia Book Award. A freelance illustrator who studied at the Kansas City Art Institute and the Illustration Academy, Jenny lives in the mountains of Northern New Mexico with her family.

Editorial Reviews

04/27/2015
Kostecki-Shaw’s mixed-media artwork portrays activist Julia Butterfly Hill as a childlike figure wearing a bandana and yellow dress as she takes up residence for two years in the branches of Luna, an ancient California redwood, to save the tree from logging. The third-person narrative shifts between Butterfly’s point of view (“Living 180 feet high in a tree wasn’t easy. Her tree house was the size of a sandbox”) and that of the tree (“Welcome, Little Butterfly. You are brave to have ventured up so high!”). A warm, appealing snapshot of this environmental activist. Ages 5–9. Agency: Worley-Shoemaker Literary Management. (May)

Publishers Weekly

A CBC NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
A Green Earth Book Award Qualifying List Selection
A Florida Reading Association's Children's Book Award Nominee
A California Eureka List Selection

“The visuals are the book's strength, and readers will get a sense of the importance of protecting the environment. VERDICT There are few books for this age group that deal with local deforestation, making this charming introduction to environmentalism an ideal addition.” —School Library Journal

“A warm, appealing snapshot of this environmental activist.” —Publishers Weekly

“A gentle introduction to environmental activism for the very young.” —Kirkus Reviews

“There is considerable usage potential here, from art projects to classroom community projects to diversity awareness projects. . . . There's also plenty of pleasure to be found just in sharing the thoughtful story and perusing the artwork.” —BCCB on Same, Same But Different

“Young readers will close the book longing to have a friend from another place; for schools with global partnerships, this will be a go-to book for introducing these projects to classrooms.” —The Horn Book Magazine on Same, Same But Different

“The imaginative multimedia illustrations, drawn in an animated, childlike style, add vibrant color and rich details to the story. Kostecki-Shaw presents a meaningful message of inclusivity in this engaging title.” —School Library Journal on Same, Same But Different

“Working in exuberantly detailed spreads with a playful sense of proportion and perspective, she [Kostecki-Shaw] immerses readers in her heroes' worlds, showing them as confident navigators of even the busiest landscapes. On every page, readers will sense they're in the company of a generous, open-minded talent.” —Publishers Weekly on Same, Same But Different

From the Publisher

05/01/2015
K-Gr 3—Kostecki-Shaw's beautifully illustrated picture book takes some liberties telling the story of Julia "Butterfly" Hill and her two-year stint tree-sitting in an ancient redwood to prevent its destruction by the Pacific Lumber Company. The tree, named Luna, is anthropomorphized through both text and images ("The redwood quivered with excitement, the way she always did when a new visitor arrived."), and Hill is depicted as a young girl (and referred to as Butterfly), although she was in her early 20s when she began her 738-day tree-sit. This may be confusing to children, but Kostecki-Shaw clarifies in an author's note that she made this choice so that the story would resonate more strongly with readers. The narrative is fascinating, with many jumping-off points for discussion with children ("And there wasn't a bathroom."; "To exercise, she climbed barefoot to the very top of Luna every morning."). The logistics are thoughtfully considered, and Kostecki-Shaw is careful to emphasize the teamwork that went into making it possible for Hill to remain in her 180-foot high platform until Luna was safe. Rendered in acrylics, watercolors, salt, pencil, and collage, the delicate, exquisitely detailed illustrations portray Hill, Luna, and the flora and fauna of the forest that take shelter in the giant redwood. The visuals are the book's strength, and readers will get a sense of the importance of protecting the environment. VERDICT There are few books for this age group that deal with local deforestation, making this charming introduction to environmentalism an ideal addition.—Jane Barrer, United Nations International School, New York City

School Library Journal

2015-01-20
A nature lover called Butterfly saves a redwood by living up in the tree for 738 days. Basing her story on the actual experience of forest activist Julia Butterfly Hill, a young adult whose tree-sit took place from December 1997 to December 1999, Kostecki-Shaw reimagines it as the tale of a young girl and a tree with bright eyes and loving arms. Aided by friends who provide supplies and take away her waste, Butterfly braves a storm and the changing seasons, imagining the appreciation and support of the tree they call Luna. Butterfly shares her experience with the world through letters and radio broadcasts. She climbs to the treetop, explores every branch and meets the other tree-dwelling creatures. One dramatic spread shows a cave within the tree's trunk, where she finds ferns, berries, birds and even a fox. The mixed-media illustrations use acrylics, watercolor, salt, pencil and collage. Vignettes and panels suggest the passage of time, and penciled comments provide a soundtrack as well as imagined conversation between girl and tree. Two spreads require that the book be turned; these emphasize the tree's height. In spite of the title, the narrative is in the third person, perhaps reminding readers that this is based on an actual experience described in the author's note. A gentle introduction to environmental activism for the very young. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Review