Leave the Trees Please

Name: Leave the Trees Please
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

by Benjamin Zephaniah, illustrated by Melissa Castrillon

Interest age: 6 to 8

Published by Magic Cat, 2025

Picture books
Poetry and rhyme

About this book

Leave the trees, please. Because the trees work with the breeze to put all living things at ease.

This beautiful book passionately celebrates how important trees are to the world. Based on a poem by the much-loved, much-missed poet Benjamin Zephaniah, the words remind us that trees are long-lived, trees make oxygen, and millions of animals make homes in trees.

Meanwhile, the gorgeous green-and-red-toned illustrations by Melissa Castrillon show us the centrality of one particular tree in one particular boy’s life.

We watch him play near the tree and grow up to campaign to save it, along with his own child. The pictures also depict the details of roots, branches, and leaves in glorious, vibrant colours, meaning that this is a visual feast to pore over.

The text is lovely to read aloud, as it speaks directly to the reader and the rhyming refrain pulls you through, while there is lots to discuss in the illustrations. This is one to share with pre-schoolers and children in the first few years of school.

About the author

Benjamin Zephaniah was a pioneer of the performance poetry scene. He recorded albums, wrote plays for stage, radio and television, and wrote poetry for children, adults, and novels for teenagers. He was also an actor and television presenter. His message was one of unity, peace and expression through creativity. He held 16 honorary doctorates and was visiting professor at De Montfort University and Professor of Poetry and Creative Writing at Brunel University.

His autobiography, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, was nominated for two major awards and he toured often with his band. Benjamin lived in Lincolnshire for much of his later life.

Benjamin passed away on 7 December 2023.

Diana Gerald, Chief Executive of BookTrust, the UK’s largest children’s reading charity, said:

“Everyone at BookTrust is devastated to hear the news about one of the nation’s favouritepoets Benjamin Zephaniah.

“Benjamin Zephaniah was a pioneer of the performance poetry scene. He recorded albums, wrote plays for stage, radio and television, and he wrote poetry for children, adults, and novels for teenagers. He was also an actor and television presenter. His message was one of unity, peace and expression through creativity. He held 16 honorary doctorates and was visiting professor at De Montfort University and Professor of Poetry and Creative Writing at Brunel University.

“His fiction and poetry collections for older children, including Face, Gangsta Rap, Teacher’s Dead, Refugee Boy and Terror Kid and Windrush Child, have become thought-provoking beloved classics to be treasured forever by children and the adults they turn into, and by teachers.

“His picture book with Nila Aye, Nature Trail, was shortlisted for the BookTrust Storytime Prize 2023, because it brought wonder and joy in nature to children. Benjamin’s energy and love for words and their ability to change children's lives will be sorely missed.”

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