The Girl Who Loves Trees

Written by Nancy Cooper

Illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

Owlkids Books

978-1-77147-673-7

32 pp.

Ages 5–8

September 2026 

 

A visit to her grandfather on the reserve becomes a special time of traditional teachings and ecological learning for a young girl in Nancy Cooper's second picture book, this time illustrated by Hawlii Pichette. 

Illustration by Hawlii Pichette from The Girl Who Loves Trees, written by Nancy Cooper

Their day begins with an offering of tobacco and a prayer of gratitude to the Creator. When they make plans for the day, including collecting an offering of cedar for a community feast, the child has questions about the trees. Loving everything about trees, from their leaves to their bark and their branches, the child wants to ensure the trees will not be hurt.

"...will show the Tree Spirit and the Creator that we are thankful for the gifts the cedar brings us and that we recognize the sacred relationship and responsibilities we have for one another." (pg. 13)

Illustration by Hawlii Pichette from The Girl Who Loves Trees, written by Nancy Cooper

As  they walk a trail deep in the forest, Grampa shares his knowledge of the traditional uses of pine needles, of birch bark, of hemlock, and more. His granddaughter shows rapt attention for his teaching, learning family history while asking many questions. She is respectful and observant and understands more beyond just what she sees.

The Girl Who Loves Trees is a story of a special intergenerational relationship because it is based in an Indigenous culture and with an ecological basis. Though her debut picture book Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome (illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley, Owlkids, 2023) also has a basis in the natural world, The Girl Who Loves Trees speaks more to the traditional teachings of her grandfather—who was inspired by Albert Dumont—and their relationship with the environment, rather than lessons in character education. Here Nancy Cooper emphasizes the relationships between grandfather and granddaughter, between trees and humans, between all living things, and with their Indigenous culture. It's a story that reminds that we are all interconnected and need to be cognizant and respectful of that interconnectedness.

Illustration by Hawlii Pichette from The Girl Who Loves Trees, written by Nancy Cooper

Hawlii Pichette, whose illustrations I enjoyed in Benjamin's Thunderstorm (Melanie Florence, Kids Can Press, 2023) and Benjamin Grows a Garden (Melanie Florence, Kids Can Press, 2025), is a Mushkego Cree urban mixed-blood artist whose artwork is deeply influenced by her culture. Her artwork is bold and vivid, strongly outlined as in the Woodland tradition. But her stylized depiction of trees, both coniferous and deciduous, were most compelling. They have a dynamism that speaks to the life they have and that they give. Hawlii Pichette demonstrates this same spirit in the grass, in the waters, and in her characters.

 

As a woman who loves trees, I appreciate Nancy Cooper and Hawlii Pichette's story for the arboreal elements of the natural world which have always spoken to me. For young children, it will remind them to be observant and respectful as they discover these same wonders. They may not be fortunate enough to have a grandparent of Indigenous heritage from which to gain knowledge, but, with The Girl Who Loves Trees, they will have a literary source to help them learn more.

Benjamin Grows a Garden

Written by Melanie Florence

Illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0321-0

40 pp.

Ages 3–7

September 2025

 

Melanie Florence introduced us to Benjamin in Benjamin's Thunderstorm (2023), also illustrated by Hawlii Pichette, and we got to know the little boy who learns more about his Cree culture and language while partaking in ordinary activities like playing in the rain and listening to the thunder. By making connections with his Indigenous heritage, Benjamin's experiences are far richer and more meaningful. This time, in Benjamin Grows a Garden, it is spring, and the boy is back outside and enjoying preparing a garden with his mother.

From Benjamin Grows a Garden, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

With spring birds accompanying their efforts, Benjamin and his mother prepare the soil for the seeds that will grow into a variety of fruits and vegetables that feed the family and their community. He's already anticipating the corn, beans, and squash that will go into Three Sisters Soup; the berries that will be served with bannock; and the zucchini, tomatoes, and pumpkins that will become stews and pies and salads. 

 

Into the rich tilled soil, Benjamin drops the corns seeds and waters them. Later on, when they have grown a bit, bean seeds are planted. And even later, the squash is planted, so that the corn supports the bean vines, and the squash beneath keeps the soil damp and cool.

From Benjamin Grows a Garden, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

This is an impressive garden, diverse in its offerings and expansive in its magnitude. With sun and water and careful attention to the garden's needs, there is a bounty to enjoy and share.

  Benjamin loved springtime.

  Spring was when Benjamin and his mother planted 

their garden together and watched it grow. (pg. 29)

This book was released last fall, but I think it's a perfect time to think about the coming spring and the opportunities for making a garden. Many are perusing seed catalogues right now in preparation, and I suspect Benjamin's mother will be doing the same, unless she derives all her seeds from her own plants. But, more than just the planting of seeds, Benjamin and his mother partake in a traditional discussion of why they plant what they do and speaking Cree as they name that which is planted. (A "Pronunciation Guide" provided by Dr. Arok Wolvengrey of the First Nations University of Canada presents help with this vocabulary.) As such, Melanie Florence, award-winning author of Missing Nimâmâ (illustrated by François Thisdale, 2015) and Stolen Words (illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard, 2017), makes planting a garden more than just the mechanics of getting seeds into the ground. Melanie Florence makes it a bonding time for mother and son, and a preservation of culture, language, and tradition.

From Benjamin Grows a Garden, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

Hawlii Pichette, the Mushkego Cree urban mixed-blood artist who illustrated the first Benjamin book, continues to support Melanie Florence's story with visuals while furthering the culture through her Woodland style of art. Hawlii Pichette may use digital tools to create her art, but she retains the distinct elements of bold colours, thick black outlines, and segmented interiors for vegetables, trees, shirts, and more. With her style and emphasis on Benjamin and his mother's work tending to the land, the organic connection is evident. There is a distinct warmth of relationship to nature and between family that comes through in Hawlii Pichette's illustrations.

From Benjamin Grows a Garden, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

If land and opportunity presents, now is the time to start thinking about planting a garden in the spring. Whether you and your children follow in the traditions of Benjamin and many Indigenous Peoples in the planting of corn, beans, and squash, or consider the countless other fruits and vegetables that might be grown from seeds, your bounty will include far beyond a mouthful of food.

 

• • • • • • • 

Benjamin's Thunderstorm (2023)

Benjamin Grows a Garden (2025)

Benjamin's Thunderstorm

Written by Melanie Florence

Illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

Kids Can Press

978-1-5253-0320-3

23 pp.

Ages 3-7

September 2023

 

Kids often love the rain, putting on rubber boots, splashing in puddles, and more. But Benjamin has a special connection to many elements of a storm that make thunderstorms all the more special for him.

From Benjamin's Thunderstorm, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

For Benjamin, the sound of thunder, which resonated like the beating of his grandfather's drum, was the sound of the thunderbirds, piyêsiwak, beating their wings. Though Benjamin also loved the puddles, kâ-wâyipêyâsiki, and the rainbows, pîsimoyâpiya, with all their colours, he loved the beat of the thunder, the same that he experienced as a powwow dancer. And even when he gets called inside by his mother–there is lightning as well as thunder–he finds a creative way to reconnect with that outside storm.

From Benjamin's Thunderstorm, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette

Melanie Florence may be known for her profound stories based in experiences of Indigenous Peoples, most notably her award-winning picture books Stolen Words (2017) and Missing Nimâmâ (2015), but she takes a more whimsical approach in Benjamin's Thunderstorm. She still embeds her story in Cree language by peppering the story with Cree words for weather events and colours and offers a "Pronunciation Guide" from Dr. Arok Wolvengrey of First Nations University of Canada. But Melanie Florence's story is more about a child enjoying the sensory experience of a thunderstorm, and most notably for the cultural connections he has because of it. 

Hawlii Pichette, a Mushkego Cree urban mixed-blood artist, balances her illustrations with both the playfulness of the story and a depth of culture. The story is one of a child at play and Hawlii Pichette gives us that high spiritedness as Benjamin splashes and dances and delights in the rain. Moreover, Hawlii Pichette's Woodland style of art speaks to her own background, and that of Melanie Florence and Benjamin, giving us landscapes of heavily outlined trees and structures while her lines speak to movement and life. 

The next time there's a rainstorm Benjamin will undoubtedly be revelling in the textures of that weather event, playing outside when safe and inside when not, and appreciating it all the more for the connection he makes with his culture and his family.

From Benjamin's Thunderstorm, written by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Hawlii Pichette