The Trees: Learning Tree Knowledge with Uncle Kuu by Victor Steffensen, illustrated by Sandra Steffenson

Title: The Trees: Learning Tree Knowledge with Uncle Kuu

Author: Victor Steffensen, illustrated by Sandra Steffenson

Genre: Non-fiction

Publisher: Hardie Grant Australia

Published: 13^th December 2023

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Price: $26.99

Synopsis: Take a walk with Uncle Kuu in The Trees, a picture book about caring for Country and respect for Indigenous knowledge.

Looking after the trees is important for keeping Country happy and healthy. First Nations People have cared for the trees on Country for thousands of years. In return, the trees look after the people and provide them with gifts of seeds, flowers, wood and more. This creates the balance between giving and taking from the land.
 
Featuring stunning artwork by Sandra Steffensen, The Trees is a powerful and timely story to help future generations manage our landscapes and ensure that they thrive. At the back of the book, you will find lyrics to a song written by author Victor Steffensen with the title, ‘We are the Trees’, and a QR code to watch the song’s YouTube video.

This book is the follow-up to Victor Steffensen’s Looking after Country with Fire, which explains Aboriginal burning practices for children.

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What we know about trees and their place in the world varies across cultures. Every culture has used and understood trees in different ways, and this book looks at how Indigenous Australians cared about Country, the trees, and shows respect for Indigenous Knowledge and the many things that trees can give us.

It also explores the clash of cultures and understandings that come with colonisation, working through what everyone can learn about trees from Indigenous people -what they can give us, what they mean for the environment and their importance to Indigenous people, opening up a world of cultural knowledge that is here to be shared with all in a gentle and informative way, acknowledging that people are now learning that trees and the environment are important and play many roles in our lives for all humans.

This book incorporates Indigenous knowledge and is written in a way that readers aged six and over will be able to understand and absorb, with advice on the benefits of working towards a better future and planting native trees, as well as caring for the trees that are already with us. It’s gently told, informative and welcoming to all who open the book, and free from judgement. It simply presents what happens and has happened through the voice and eyes of Uncle Kuu telling the children around him about the trees and what they have been used for and how. This shows that there are ways of communicating that share knowledge and help society find ways of coming together, because we all have experiences, skills and knowledge that can be useful in many ways. It’s just a matter of finding the ways that work the best for the benefit of all.

Finally, the life of the trees is celebrated with a song written by the author. The back of the book has lyrics, sheet music, and a QR Code to watch the video of the song which is called ‘We Are the Trees.’ This added interactivity gives the book something special, and a way of bringing the story to life in other ways. Overall, I think this book will open up necessary discussions and help us gain an understanding of ways of thinking that we are not familiar with, and give diverse voices a chance.