Pine Cone Regrown: How One Species Thrives After Fire

Pine Cone Regrown. tells the unusual story of a pine cone which hangs from a tree for forty years, biding its time. When an unattended campfire grows into a blaze, the pine cone watches as forest wildlife flees the flames. Still, the pine cone waits, holding its seeds sealed in resin. As the flames approach the cone, the resin melts, the cone finally cracks open, and the seeds fall. The ground on which the seeds land has been enriched by ash and now receives sunlight because the fire has removed the canopy, which previously blocked the light. As the seeds sprout, wildlife returns. So, the fire was not the end, but the beginning of new life in the forest.

Elsa Boxer has written a fascinating picture book that demonstrates the surprising necessity of fire for certain pines. The text itself is beautifully crafted with abundant alliteration, giving this book a melodic flow. Finally, Kevin and Kristen Howdeshell’s illustrations can only be described as vibrant and perfectly suited to the text. In sum, this is an excellent picture book.