“These largest trees on earth begin life as seeds about the size of an oatmeal flake yet can grow as tall as three blue whales stacked chin to tail.”

So reads the teaser to this just-released book from the Yosemite Conservancy. And what better time to introduce youngsters to these massive trees, now that the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park has been reopened after three years of restoration work funded in great measure by the Conservancy?

Written by Joanna Cooke and illustrated by Fiona Hsieh, this book for kids ages 4 to 7 is the perfect introduction to sequoias before a hike into the Mariposa Grove, or into the Giant Forest of nearby Sequoia National Park.

The author traces the life of sequoias, explains how fire can open the cones that hold the seeds, and points out that “a large sequoia’s roots absorb enough water to fill more than eight bathtubs” every day.

Hsieh’s colorful and dramatic illustrations are enough by themselves to entice youngsters into the sequoia groves.

Parents haven’t been neglected by Cooke, who provides more detailed information in the back of the 32-page book on where sequoias live, how big some of the famous trees (General Sherman, for instance) really are, and how the trees absorb nutrients.

If your kids need to be drawn into the woods, this is a great introduction. And if they are curious about the natural world around them, The Sequoia Lives On would be a great addition to their young library.