This is the gold standard for nature books. It takes a complex, high-level concept—the fungal and chemical communication between trees—and makes it feel like an adventure story. It’s the perfect antidote to 'brain rot' because it makes the physical world look as complex and interesting as a video game.

If you want your kid to actually want to go for a walk in the woods without complaining that it's boring, give them this first. It turns every tree into a character and every forest into a neighborhood.