Howl's Moving Castle Limited Edition |

Peter Wohlleben

The Hidden Life of Trees

What They Feel, How They Communicate

CA$130

Illustrated by Dina Brodsky

Introduced By the author

Translated By Jane Billinghurst

Peter Wohlleben reveals the secret lives of trees in this captivating exploration of woodland connection. With delicate artwork by Dina Brodsky, this tactile, nature-inspired book invites readers to slow down and look closer.

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The Hidden Life of Trees

CA$130
Book Details
 
Production DetailsBound in blocked cloth with printed inset label
Printed endpapers
Slipcase wrapped in textured paper
Dimensions8¾ × 6¼ inches (22.2 × 15.9 cm)
FontTypeset in Garamond with Arno as display
Pages232
AuthorPeter Wohlleben
Illustrated byDina Brodsky
IllustrationSeven full-page colour illustrations plus black-and-white vignettes
Publication Date05/05/2026
PrintingFirst Printing
Editor's Notes
 
Peter Wohlleben drew on decades of experience as a forester and a series of groundbreaking scientific discoveries for this eye-opening book, one of the first to introduce to a wide audience the idea of trees as social beings, communicating and supporting each other, trees as wondrous organisms as complex as any animal. The book completely changed our view of the woodland world.

Wohlleben has wise words for those entering a forest: ‘Slow down, breathe deep and look around’, and our design perfectly reflects that approach. We've made a beautiful book, tactile and simple, with a natural feel. The endpapers are printed with a subtle design of willow leaves, and the slipcase has a textured, grainy feel. Dina Brodsky's closely observed and finely detailed drawings of trees are drawn from life and portray them as both mysterious and majestic.
Synopsis
 
Deep in the forest, something remarkable is happening. Trees talk. They nurture their young, warn their neighbours of danger and share nutrients through a vast underground network - the ‘wood-wide web’. In The Hidden Life of Trees, forester Peter Wohlleben opens our eyes to the rich and surprising world of woodland life, where trees are not solitary sentinels but part of a vibrant, social community.
Drawing on decades of experience and the latest scientific discoveries, Wohlleben shows how trees live in close-knit communities. They communicate, form alliances and support the sick and struggling. A healthy forest, he argues, is one where trees cooperate rather than compete - and where every trunk, root and leaf plays its part.

Wohlleben’s deep love for woodland life is contagious. His writing invites us to slow down, look closer and rediscover the wonder of the natural world. After reading this book, a simple walk among the trees becomes something else entirely: a glimpse into a hidden world, full of life, mystery and quiet magic.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Dina Brodsky

Dina Brodsky is a contemporary realist painter. Known for her miniaturist style, her highly detailed depictions of natural environments and unsuspecting human and animal subjects are evocative of renaissance portraiture and landscape. Brodsky often paints on small circular surfaces, forcing viewers to move closer to the work.

Born in 1981 in Minsk, Belarus, she moved to the United States at the age of 10 and received her BFA at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art in 2006. Dina has had solo exhibitions in London, New York, Massachusetts and Florida. She has taught in several institutions, including the Castle Hill Centre for the Arts, the Long Island Academy of Fine Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Dina Brodsky

Dina Brodsky is a contemporary realist painter. Known for her miniaturist style, her highly detailed depictions of natural environments and unsuspecting human and animal subjects are evocative of renaissance portraiture and landscape. Brodsky often paints on small circular surfaces, forcing viewers to move closer to the work.

Born in 1981 in Minsk, Belarus, she moved to the United States at the age of 10 and received her BFA at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art in 2006. Dina has had solo exhibitions in London, New York, Massachusetts and Florida. She has taught in several institutions, including the Castle Hill Centre for the Arts, the Long Island Academy of Fine Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Dina Brodsky

Dina Brodsky is a contemporary realist painter. Known for her miniaturist style, her highly detailed depictions of natural environments and unsuspecting human and animal subjects are evocative of renaissance portraiture and landscape. Brodsky often paints on small circular surfaces, forcing viewers to move closer to the work.

Born in 1981 in Minsk, Belarus, she moved to the United States at the age of 10 and received her BFA at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art in 2006. Dina has had solo exhibitions in London, New York, Massachusetts and Florida. She has taught in several institutions, including the Castle Hill Centre for the Arts, the Long Island Academy of Fine Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Dina Brodsky

Dina Brodsky is a contemporary realist painter. Known for her miniaturist style, her highly detailed depictions of natural environments and unsuspecting human and animal subjects are evocative of renaissance portraiture and landscape. Brodsky often paints on small circular surfaces, forcing viewers to move closer to the work.

Born in 1981 in Minsk, Belarus, she moved to the United States at the age of 10 and received her BFA at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art in 2006. Dina has had solo exhibitions in London, New York, Massachusetts and Florida. She has taught in several institutions, including the Castle Hill Centre for the Arts, the Long Island Academy of Fine Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Dina Brodsky

Dina Brodsky is a contemporary realist painter. Known for her miniaturist style, her highly detailed depictions of natural environments and unsuspecting human and animal subjects are evocative of renaissance portraiture and landscape. Brodsky often paints on small circular surfaces, forcing viewers to move closer to the work.

Born in 1981 in Minsk, Belarus, she moved to the United States at the age of 10 and received her BFA at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art in 2006. Dina has had solo exhibitions in London, New York, Massachusetts and Florida. She has taught in several institutions, including the Castle Hill Centre for the Arts, the Long Island Academy of Fine Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Author image

About the Author

Peter Wohlleben is one of the world’s most notable foresters and a passionate advocate for tree conservation. Wohlleben lives in Germany, where he founded a Forest Academy for education and advocacy, and teaches forest owners to manage ecologically conscious forests. His books are bestsellers in countries around the world.

Peter’s Forest Academy supports worldwide initiatives to protect forests, including those of the Kwiakah First Nation in British Columbia, Canada and Ecosia, the ecological search engine that uses its profits to plant trees around the world.

A trusted global advisor on forestry issues, Peter delivered the keynote address at the 2020 International Conference for Biodiversity and Climate. Awards for his work with forests include the prestigious Heinz Sielmann Award, the Environmental Award from Environmental Action Germany and a Conservation Medal from BUND in Bavaria, amongst many others.