From Emmy Award-winning journalist Anna Crowley Redding comes a captivating nonfiction picture book that explores the fabled apple tree that inspired Isaac Newton's theory of gravity. From a minor seed to a monumental icon, it inspired the world's greatest minds, including Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. "A sweet windfall of history and inspiration." -Kirkus (starred review) "This picture book may resonate with science-minded children." -Booklist A tree may seem like a rather ordinary thing. But hundreds of years ago, a tree was about to embark on an extraordinary journey. And it all started with just a speck of a seed. . . . It began in the 1600s with a seed that became the tree that grew the apple that fell right before Isaac Newton's eyes. This seemingly simple event sparked one of the greatest scientific discoveries-Newton's theory of gravity! A chain reaction of ideas and discoveries followed from the likes of Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, who traveled to the place where these scientific journeys began-Isaac's tree. From rocketing into space to adorning the queen's carriage, the Gravity Tree's unexpectedly remarkable and true life story is a tale for the ages. Award-winning journalist Anna Crowley Redding unearths the story of how something so small could change the world. The Gravity Tree is a beautiful nonfiction picture book to share at home or in the classroom. A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year A Kirkus Children's Best Book of the Year

He saved the words that built America! Emmy Award-winning journalist Anna Crowley Redding and Sibert Honor illustrator Edwin Fotheringham bring to life the riveting true story about the lowly clerk who saved the Declaration of Independence from being destroyed by the British army in the War of 1812. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It's a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children. "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." These are the words that helped found our nation. Today the Declaration of Independence is one of the United States' most heavily guarded treasures, but during the War of 1812 it would have been destroyed if not for one man whose story has nearly been forgotten by time. Come along on this historic adventure and learn how one ordinary clerk did a truly extraordinary thing. As a clerk for the State Department, Stephen Pleasonton spent his days quietly immersed in paperwork. He never expected to receive an urgent message telling him that the British army was on its way to the capital. And that the documents that Stephen was entrusted with--such as the original Declaration of Independence and the original Constitution--were all in danger! It fell on Stephen to get our nation's most cherished and priceless artifacts safely out of Washington!