A new book from children’s author and illustrator Brian Selznick is scheduled to hit bookstore shelves next spring.
Scholastic will publish Selznick’s Big Tree, the press announced in a news release. The book is the result of a seed planted by Steven Spielberg, the Jurassic Park and West Side Story director.
The book tells the story of two sycamore seeds who embark on a mission to save the world and find a good place to grow.
“Big Tree is a fast-paced epic adventure that takes readers on a mesmerizing journey from the prehistoric age to [the] present day,” Scholastic says. “It is filled with mystery and danger, humor, heart, and hope, and will captivate readers ages 7 and up.”
Selznick made his literary debut in 1991 with the picture book The Houdini Box. His 2007 Caldecott Medal–winning The Invention of Hugo Cabret was adapted into the Academy Award–winning Martin Scorsese film Hugo.
“Creating this book was a great joy and an even greater challenge because I was telling a story about nature from nature's point of view,” Selznick said in a statement. “It grew into a narrative I'm very proud of, one that reminds us to stop and listen to the world around us, and to help those who need to be helped. These themes seem to grow more and more urgent with each passing day.”
Big Tree is slated for publication on April 4, 2023.
Michael Schaub, a journalist and regular contributor to NPR, lives near Austin, Texas.
