Book cover illustration for the children's ecology picture book for "Where Have the Big Old Trees Gone?" by John Cayden. Image has large old tree with a wide trunk and green leaves, with a small girl standing at the base of the giant tree looking up

Next in 2026 from the world of John Cayden…..

For thousands of years, people have changed forests. 
Today, we have a choice—how will our story be told?

This next book is for the curious kids and tree-loving grownups!

From the very first campfire to giant wooden ships, humans and trees have been best buddies for thousands of years — but sometimes, we haven’t been the best friends back. Travel through time to meet the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Vikings, and more as they chop, build, burn, and boom their way through history — all with the help and sometimes at the expense of trees. With silly scenes, colorful pictures, and a happy ending full of hope, this is a tree-mendous journey you won’t forget!

Before there were cities, cars, or even candy… there were trees.

And before humans had tools, clothes, or maps, they had forests.

This is the story of how trees helped humans do almost everything — cook food, stay warm, build boats, and even make giant palaces. Each time a new civilization came along, trees lent a hand or a branch. But after a while, some forests disappeared, and people had to ask: Where have all the big old trees gone?

Don’t worry — this isn’t a sad story. It’s a story about learning, growing, and planting better futures. So, grab your hiking boots and get your tree-hugging arms limbered up and let’s take a journey through the forest of time together! 

WHERE HAVE THE BIG OLD TREES GONE?

A forest scene where people are cutting down a large tree; one person is using a saw, and two others are on the ground. An owl is flying close to the camera, and a woman is sitting near the water with a hat and bowl, possibly fishing.
Illustration of ancient Greek workers chopping trees with hammers, with a background of ruins and an elephant walking nearby, under a sky with clouds.

Available 2026!

I’m continuing my mission of educating and inspiring through storytelling with my new children's picture book coming soon on the history of Earth's big trees, loosely based on a traveling exhibit and school science curriculum developed by myself and my education team, inspired by A Forest Journey, First Harvard University Press 1991.

A digital graphic illustration scene of a baby orangutan hanging from a tree branch in a tropical setting with palm oil trees and a background of a plantation. Book text will discuss contemporary deforestation issues.

Check out the recent video on TikTok or Instagram on the orangutan trying to fight off a giant wrecking crane in the rainforest!

This graphic was designed for the spread at the end of the book on palm oil plantations and deforestation loss of habitat of tigers and orangutans.

More to come….

“Big forests begin with small seeds and sometimes, small hands.”

EARTH CHALLENGE FROM THE AUTHOR

Humans don't realize the damage they have caused Earth because our memories only last about 80 years and what they perceive as normal may not have always been that way. That's essentially a phenomenon known as Shifting Baseline Syndrome.

It's a concise way of expressing the underlying idea that each generation inherits an already-altered world and often mistakes it for the original one. As an example, a child born today will never understand what a summer or a winter was like two hundred years ago in their town or village.

One of my favorite television shows is Escape to the County on BBC. At the beginning of each episode are shots of panoramic vistas of the various countrysides across England, Scotland and Whales and perhaps Ireland. (Not sure if they shoot there) What always stands out to me in every episode is how much the property hunters love the views, but in my eye they are looking at severely damaged landscapes, of clearcuts and agricultural manipulation of the land in place of the old diverse forests that once covered their hills and valleys.

So I made a list for the people of the world suffering from Shifting Baseline Syndrome and I throw down a challenge to you all!

So…”Where are your old trees?”

“Hey Canada, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guyana, Suriname, Gabon, and French Guiana – stop cutting where you’re at now and start planting!

China and the keepers of the Amazon are stepping up their game but not “out of the woods” just yet - but hurray for them! Good job so far!”

“Hey Afghanistan, where are your trees?

Hey Albania, where are your trees?

Hey Algeria, where are your trees?

Hey Armenia, where are your trees?

Hey Australia, where are your trees?

Hey Austria, where are your trees?

Hey Azerbaijan, where are your trees?

Hey Bangladesh, where are your trees?

Hey Belgium, where are your trees?

Hey Bosnia and Herzegovina, where are your trees?

Hey Bulgaria, where are your trees?

Hey Cambodia, where are your trees?

Hey Chile, where are your trees?

Hey China, where are your trees?

Hey Costa Rica, where are your trees?

Hey Croatia, where are your trees?

Hey Cyprus, where are your trees?

Hey Czech Republic, where are your trees?

Hey Denmark, where are your trees?

Hey Dominican Republic, where are your trees?

Hey Ecuador, where are your trees?

Hey El Salvador, where are your trees?

Hey England, where are your trees?

Hey Estonia, where are your trees?

Hey Ethiopia, where are your trees?

Hey Finland, where are your trees?

Hey France, where are your trees?

Hey Germany, where are your trees?

Hey Greece, where are your trees?

Hey Guatemala, where are your trees?

Hey Haiti, where are your trees?

Hey Honduras, where are your trees?

Hey Hungary, where are your trees?

Hey India, where are your trees?

Hey Indonesia, where are your trees?

Hey Ireland, where are your trees?

Hey Israel, where are your trees?

Hey Italy, where are your trees?

Hey Jamaica, where are your trees?

Hey Japan, where are your trees?

Hey Laos, where are your trees?

Hey Lebanon, where are your trees?

Hey Madagascar, where are your trees?

Hey Malaysia, where are your trees?

Hey Mexico, where are your trees?

Hey Myanmar, where are your trees?

Hey Nepal, where are your trees?

Hey Netherlands, where are your trees?

Hey New Zealand, where are your trees?

Hey Nicaragua, where are your trees?

Hey Nigeria, where are your trees?

Hey North Macedonia, where are your trees?

Hey Norway, where are your trees?

Hey Pakistan, where are your trees?

Hey Panama, where are your trees?

Hey Paraguay, where are your trees?

Hey Peru, where are your trees?

Hey Philippines, where are your trees?

Hey Poland, where are your trees?

Hey Portugal, where are your trees?

Hey Romania, where are your trees?

Hey Russia, where are your old trees - there almost gone?

Hey Scotland, where are your trees?

Hey Serbia, where are your trees?

Hey Slovakia, where are your trees?

Hey Slovenia, where are your trees?

Hey South Africa, where are your trees?

Hey South Korea, where are your trees?

Hey Spain, where are your trees?

Hey Sri Lanka, where are your trees?

Hey Sweden, where are your trees?

Hey Switzerland, where are your trees?

Hey Taiwan, where are your trees?

Hey Thailand, where are your trees?

Hey Türkiye, where are your trees?

Hey Ukraine, where are your trees?

Hey United States, where are your old trees - there almost gone?

Hey Vietnam, where are your trees?

Hey Wales, where are your trees?”