Leave the Trees, Please - Highly Commended, 2025 Wainwright Prize

Winner of the Margaret Mallett Award 2026

Follow a little boy's friendship and journey with one tree, in this powerful and beautiful love letter to nature.

From master wordsmith, Benjamin Zephaniah, comes a breathtaking new poem and story showing how trees offer us the perspective and connection to nature we crave in our daily lives. The final scene is an honest representation of the devastating effects of deforestation and urban development, encouraging all of us, everywhere, to 'leave the trees, please'.

With resplendent illustrations from bestselling Melissa Castrillon, this book is both magnificent and timely.