Tree Thing

A highly illustrated story by an award-winning author

By: Piers Torday, Matthew Taylor Wilson

Narrated by: Gyuri Sarossy

With a classic feel, this story celebrates bravery, hope and the marvels of the natural world. When the dark rider on a horse arrives, Marlo's bravery is the only thing standing between Tree Thing and certain destruction ... An unmissable tale from award-winning Piers Torday.


Once, in a faraway land, a green thing squeezed out of the earth. The mysterious Tree Thing, which changes Marlo's life forever.

Nothing grows in Marlo's valley, and it's a struggle to survive. But when his squirrel Rinti finds a glowing emerald acorn, it grows into a miraculous Tree Thing.

Tree Thing changes everything, bringing life and hope. And when the shadowy Rider arrives with an axe, Marlo needs all his bravery and ingenuity to stand between triumph and disaster.

From the acclaimed, award-winning Piers Torday comes an unforgettable fable for all ages, a brilliant story for young and old. ©2026 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critic reviews

An enchanting fable to teach children about the natural world. Torday is an enchanting writer. A page-turning adventure story with a foreboding message about the planet's fragility. And like all the best fables, it will appeal well beyond its target readership of nine to 12

With stunning black-and-white illustrations, this powerful fable about nature, destruction and regeneration swirls with menace and mystery - and has an unexpected twist

Inspired by the Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall, Torday and Taylor Wilson have created a haunting short fable that speaks volumes on humanity's symbiotic relationship with nature.

You can feel the memory of the illegally felled Sycamore Gap tree, which inspired Piers Torday to write this gentle, heartfelt and piercing ode, throughout Tree Thing. Lyrical and humane, Tree Thing is scaffolded by Matthew Taylor Wilson's atmospheric black and white illustrations, which send out tendrils on every page. A beautiful, moving fable that celebrates caring for, and working with, nature.

Torday's eco-narrative raises important questions about the relationship between humans and the natural world, while also retaining a vital seed of hope

Thought-provoking and powerful, Tree Thing is a story deeply rooted in the beauty of the natural world. It carries a plea for its protection and bursts with hope for change. It is quite extraordinary.

Piers Torday's mesmerising story leans into themes of nature, landscape and resilience, with Matthew Taylor Wilson's enchanting illustrations adding atmosphere and warmth throughout. Highly recommended.