Up In the Leaves

Shira Boss is a writer who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, three blocks from Central Park. Up in the Leaves is her second book. She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Columbia University, including a master’s in Journalism. When her Japanese maple tree needed pruning, several people suggested she call arborist Bob Redman. He said it was the smallest tree he had ever worked on (about four feet high, in a pot). Now they have two sons, two whippets—and many more trees. Connect with them at shiraboss.com.Jamey Christoph’s illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and in several award-winning children’s books, including Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America by Carole Boston Weatherford (Albert Whitman). He works out of his 1920s home in Cleveland Heights, OH, with his crazy dogs, Owen and Jack.

“Boss shares the tale of Bob Redman, a real arborist in New York, with simple, heartfelt language, displaying compassion and understanding of Bob’s dedication to his trees.” —KirkusReviews“Christoph’s digitally rendered illustrations mimic watercolor, offering beautiful hues and visible, delicate brush strokes. . . . sure to inspire young arborists.” —School Library Journal