Why the Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves

A nature myth retold from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook

This story comes from The Book of Nature Myths by Florence Holbrook, first published in 1902. It is a nature myth—a story that explains something in the natural world. This tale tells why spruce, pine, and juniper trees keep their green needles all winter while birch, oak, and willow lose their leaves. Like many traditional stories, it was told to help children notice the world around them and think about kindness. The text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised.

Band

Purple · Pre-readers and first readers, about 4 to 5

Length

short · about 356 words in 6 sections · 4 pictures

Source

The Book of Nature Myths, Florence Holbrook · Project Gutenberg

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (6 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.