Description: A History of the Forest, Told with Deep Love for Nature Where do forests come from, how do they flourish, and how do they change over time? This book traces the history of a single forest in Massachusetts, USA, unfolding a story that reflects the history of every forest on Earth — because all forests are formed and live in the same way. The forest's story begins when a seed falls onto barren land, sprouts, and the field begins to turn green. As the years pass and the seasons change, the forest's inhabitants shift, and its appearance transforms along with them. Soft, realistic detailed illustrations beautifully capture these changes, along with the animals that live within the forest. The love that both the author and illustrator have for forests has come together to create an outstanding history of the forest. Two hundred years ago, grass seeds spread across a wide field. Soon the field was covered with weeds, and after a few years it became a thicket. Small animals like birds, field mice, rabbits, and moles moved in. Five years later, one summer day, a young tree appeared — a white pine. It was the "pioneer" tree that opened the way for the forest. Over the next twenty years, the white pines grew tall and dense, their thick branches blocking out the sunlight. With less sunlight reaching the ground, young pines could no longer grow, and young broadleaf trees took their place instead. Ash, oak, red maple, and tulip trees began to grow. After fifteen more years, the forest became dense with both pines and broadleaf trees. A competition began in which only the strongest trees survived — this is what's known as "succession," the process by which new trees and animals replace the old. After forty years, broadleaf trees such as red oak, ash, and red maple replaced the pines as the dominant trees of the forest. As more time passed, beech and sugar maple trees came to dominate the forest. After 150 years, the wide open field had transformed into a beautiful forest. Every forest in the world is born, grows, and changes in this same way. At the back of the book are two special sections: "The Next Time You Visit a Forest" and "Forests of Our Country." These sections carefully describe what children should look for and learn when visiting a forest, and also examine the process of forest succession at Soribong Forest in Gwangneung, Gyeonggi-do, Korea. Even now, forests continue to change hands and transform in appearance. Through this book, we can understand how a forest comes into being and evolves over time. As we journey through the forest's history with detailed and heartwarming illustrations, we come to realize that not just trees and grasses, but also animals, insects, mushrooms, fungi, and bacteria are all part of what makes up a forest. And we gain the ability to imagine both the past and future of a single forest — an eye that can see beyond what is visible. — Yoon So-young, from the translator's note