Jacky the pine cone is enjoying life in the forest. Lightning strikes, starting a wildfire. Animals flee, firefighters arrive, and people in the nearby village prepare for evacuation. With the heat of the fire, Jacky’s cone scales open, releasing seeds, and Jacky settles into the fertile soil of the scorched earth, eventually growing into a tree. The fictional text is paired with wildfire facts, explaining both destructive and regenerative effects. Plants and animals of Canada’s wilderness are featured and labelled in full-page, brightly coloured illustrations. Indigenous Peoples’ stewardship of the land is acknowledged. A “Fact Page” and Wagstaffe’s account of her experience as a meteorologist reporting on the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire conclude the book. Winner of the CBC Teacher Favorites Award, this book was also listed in the OLA Best Bets Top Ten, commended by CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, and longlisted for the Green Earth Book Award.

Other End Matter: Fact Page, Glossary, Author’s Note
Images: Colour illustrations
Bibliography: No
Index: No

Source: Books BC - BC Books for Schools

Johanna Wagstaffe is the meteorologist and science host for CBC Vancouver and CBC News Network. She is the author of Little Cloud: The Science of a Hurricane and Fault Lines: Understanding the Power of Earthquakes. With a background in seismology, geophysics and earth science, Johanna has covered a wide range of science stories, from the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire and the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami to the Paris Climate Change Conference. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Johanna Wagstaffe's profile page

Julie McLaughlin is an award-winning illustrator whose work includes commissions for editorial, advertising and publishing clients from around the world. Her previous books have been nominated for several awards, and she won the 2015 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction for Why We Live Where We Live. She is the illustrator of What Animals Want in the Orca Think series and Pride Puppy! Julie grew up on the Prairies and now resides on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Julie McLaughlin's profile page

• Long-listed, The Nature Generation Green Earth Book Award
• Winner, CBC Teacher Favorites Award
• Commended, Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens

“An entertaining and informative addition to any school library collection or classroom. This science-based book is accessible and appropriate for primary-aged readers. Highly Recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“This brightly illustrated picture book explains the life cycle of a pine tree in an age-appropriate and easily understood way…Engaging and attractive. Recommended.”

School Library Connection