Franklin’s Trees

By A.J. Schenkman

Deal Ends: Wed 20th May

“All that is within me cries out to go back to my home on The Hudson River,” President Franklin Roosevelt once declared. For it was at his home in Hyde Park, New York that FDR could indulge in his favorite avocation—“tree farmer.” This book introduces children to FDR’s love of nature through a lifetime in which he oversaw the planting of over a million trees on his estate. It tells of a childhood hiking the trails through his forest, later widening those trails into roads after polio deprived him of the use of his legs and only able to get around by car. It describes the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, which came to be known as “Roosevelt’s Tree Army.” It also tells the story of how FDR sent England’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill a Norway spruce one Christmas to cheer up the English people. Today, FDR’s love of trees is remembered at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Historic Site in Hyde Park, New York, where many of the trees he planted still rise on the grounds and surrounding forest. Review This beautifully-illustrated picture book introduces President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s life-long love of nature. FDR lived in Hyde Park, New York and he indulged in planting countless trees around his homestead. He hiked the trails through the family forest. During the Great Depression era, he created the Civilian Conservation Corps to help unemployed people support their families and at the same time, get many public works projects completed, including planting trees in many places. After he contracted polio in 1921, he was unable to walk through the trees he loved so he had a road built so he could drive and see the majestic trees. He died in April 1945, after the Second World War. Today, FDR’s love of trees is remembered at his historic birthplace in Hyde Park, where many of the trees he planted still stand. You can visit the FDR Homestead and walk through the trees. A great picture book for young readers! ― Skipping Stones About the Author A.J. Schenkman is the author of several books about local and regional history. He has written for many magazines, blogs, and academic journals including numerous articles on Hudson Valley history in Ulster Magazine, The Times Herald-Record, Chronogram and on his website, Ulster County History Journal. He is a teacher in Ulster County. He is the Town of Gardiner Historian and Consulting Historian for Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz, NY, where he lives with his family.Lauren Reese holds a BA in Art Education and has taught in a variety of settings. A watercolor and gouache artist, she illustrates books as well as original paintings and commissioned pieces. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.