"To read this book is to take an intimate walk through the old-growth world of the Pacific Northwest United States. At the heart of this world is the mighty Douglas fir tree, one of the largest living things on earth. . . . Bash begins this journey in the uppermost branches where murrelets nest and red voles spend their entire lives. Other creatures are here, too -- flying squirrels and spotted owls. The text and illustrations of this book provide a detailed and impressive story of the life cycle of a tree but they go far beyond that. They also show the interdependence of many other living things. . . . The book then shows us how death and decay bring forth new life, not just in the forest itself but in the streams where salmon spawn. . . . At the end of the book, the author describes her own journey in the making of this book and then makes a plea to her young readers for preserving the ancient forests." Excerpt of review from Nature's Course (March/April 1996) published by CCEL.