The Tree and the River

Written & illustrated by Aaron Becker

A tree witnesses humanity's rise and nature's transformation.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 1,084 ratings

32 pages

$18.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In a world where time flows like a river, a solitary tree stands as a silent observer. As a family settles and a village grows, human ingenuity reshapes the land, bending nature to its will. But as civilization thrives, what becomes of the natural world? This wordless journey explores the delicate balance between human ambition and nature's resilience, leaving us to ponder the true cost of progress.

From the publisher

A spectacular time-lapse portrait of humankind–and our impact on the natural world–from a Caldecott Honor-winning master of the wordless form In an alternate past–or possible future–a mighty tree stands on the banks of a winding river, bearing silent witness to the flow of time and change. A family farms the fertile valley. Soon, a village sprouts, and not long after, a town. Residents learn to harness the water, the wind, and the animals in order to survive and thrive. The growing population becomes ever more industrious and clever, bending nature itself to their will and their ambition: redirecting rivers, harvesting lumber, reshaping the land, even extending daylight itself. . . . The Tree and the River is an epic time-lapse reimagining of human civilization from a master of the wordless form, and a thought-provoking meditation on the relationship between two mighty forces: nature and humankind.