The Picture Book Buzz - Interview w/Elisa Boxer and Review of Pine Cone Regrown
Elisa Boxer is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist and a two-time Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor- winning author.
Her books include: The Tree of Life: How a Holocaust Sapling Inspired the World, illustrated by Alianna Rozentsveig (2024), Dear Younger Me: What 35 Trailblazing Women Wish They’d Known As Girls (2024), Full Circle: Creation, Migration and Coming Home, illustrated by Vivian Mineker (2024), The Different Tree, illustrated by Marieke Nelissen (2024), Hidden Hope: How A Toy and a Hero Saved Lives During the Holocaust, illustrated by Amy June Bates (2023), Covered in Color: Christo and Jeanne-Claude's Fabrics of Freedom, illustrated by Susanna Chapman (2022), SPLASH!: Ethelda Bleibtrey Makes Waves of Change, illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley (2022) One Turtle's Last Straw: The Real-Life Rescue That Sparked A Sea Change, illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns (2022), A Seat at the Table: The Nancy Pelosi Story, illustrated by Laura Freeman (2021), and The Voice That Won the Vote: How One Woman's Words Made History, illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger (2020).
Her newest nonfiction picture book, Pine Cone Regrown: How One Species Thrives After Fire, releases on March 15th.
Welcome Elisa, thank you so much for stopping by to talk about your newest book and your writing.
Thanks so much for having me back, Maria! So glad to be joining you again.
Having written a number of nonfiction picture books, what is your research process? Did it change at all for Pine Cone Regrown: How One Species Thrives After Fire?
It’s interesting, several of my books have actually come about because of something I discovered while doing research for another book. That’s the case here. But more on that in your next question below! After narrowing down my topic online, and reviewing articles, I always read as many books as I can on the subject. And then I reach out via email or phone to experts in the field, to check facts and ask questions. Lots of questions! That’s what I did here too. At that point, I begin whittling down which points I want to include in the book, and experiment with different structures. I get a stack of white paper, and create one “scene” per page. Then I often try out different points of view. For this book, in my first draft, the whole tree took center stage. But in the next revision, I felt it was more powerful to focus the reader’s attention on the pine cone itself, since it’s the pine cone’s seeds that actually create new life from the fire.
That's an interesting way to create a dummy, I like it! What was your inspiration for Pine Cone Regrown?
I was actually in the process of researching a book about how a forest ecosystem recovers after a wildfire, when I came across the Lodgepole pine. The fact that this tree can only grow new life after it faces fire – that really struck me. The theme of hope after devastation. I think so many of us have those experiences where we feel like it’s the end. And then we find out it’s actually a beginning.
It's fun that research for one book, spurs ideas for another book. How long did it take from the first draft to publication for Pine Cone Regrown? How does this compare to your other books?
From first draft to publication took around three years, which is pretty typical. My quickest book was two years from first draft to publication, and my longest was twenty-one years!
Woah! That's a long time and likely a book of your heart you refused to give up on. What was the most rewarding part of the publishing process for Pine Cone Regrown?
One of the highlights was getting to read an advanced copy of the book to schools around the country for World Read Aloud Day last month. It was a treat to be able to share the book and answer questions about it before it even came out. Also, this is my fourth book with Sleeping Bear Press, and it was such a pleasure to work with the team again, especially editor Sarah Rockett and publicity guru Carrlee Craig. At this point, it feels like family! I’m so grateful.
Those are some lucky kids! What was the hardest, or most challenging part of researching and/or writing Pine Cone Regrown? Was there anything you wished you could have included in the text or back matter?
I became so fascinated by all the living things that require fire to thrive, I knew I wanted that to be a backmatter section. There are animals like the bark beetle, which makes its home in the bark of a tree destroyed by fire. And there’s the fire lily, which flowers after being exposed to wildfire smoke. We included several examples, but there were so many more I wish we had room to include! Like the flatwoods salamander and scrub-jay bird. Both live in Florida and need fire to survive.
Maybe you can add a fun list of these other plants and animals to your website as a bonus to accompany the book? Did anything surprise or amaze you when you first got to see Kevin & Kristen Howdeshell’s illustrations? What is your favorite spread?
Text © Elisa Boxer, 2025. Image © Kevin & Kristen Howdeshell, 2025.
Everything amazed me! That first glimpse of preliminary sketches is always such an exciting part of the process. Kevin and Kristen’s illustrations drew me right in, right away. From the beginning, I was struck by the vintage vibe of their art. It’s such a unique style. A beautiful mix of nature, tension, and emotion. I can’t pick a favorite spread, so I will tell you my two favorites! The first one is when the forest animals are running away, there’s such a sense of helplessness and urgency. You really feel for these animals. And then my next favorite is the wordless spread at the very end, when they all come back. There’s such a sense of hope and life beginning anew.
This is a powerful and scary image of the animals desperately fleeing the fire. Is there something you want your readers to know or hope they discover about Pine Cone Regrown?
In addition to learning about serotinous trees, I hope readers find inspiration in this element of nature that epitomizes new growth after devastation. We’re living through some challenging times, for sure, and focusing on this theme of rising from the ashes; of finding strength through adversity, has helped me tremendously. I hope it resonates with readers too.
It might be just what some of the readers need. Are there any projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?
Happily! I’m putting the finishing touches on my middle grade nonfiction anthology Unexpected Undercover: Forty Fearless Female Spies. It’s been an incredible experience learning about and writing about these real-life spies. I even got to interview a few of them, which was a surprise because, well, you know, spies. Also, I have several picture books in the pipeline, both fiction and non-fiction, that haven’t been announced yet. Five of them launching in the next two years!
Intriguing! We'll definitely need to keep our eyes open for these books. Best of luck with them. Last question, what animal or natural feature (place) do you want to learn more about? Why?
There is a particular type of flower that fascinates me, and an animal too. But I can’t give them away, because they are both books in progress! ;) … I’ve always been fascinated by how aspects of the human condition are reflected in the natural world. For example, there’s a tree outside my window that hangs on to its dried, dead leaves all winter long. I could relate to this tree. I don’t like to rush either! So, I did some research and found out about a natural phenomenon called marcescence – where some trees have very good reasons for hanging on to their leaves. I won’t spoil the “why” for you, but it became a book, The Different Tree, published last year.
Thanks so much, Elisa for stopping back by. It was wonderful to chat with you again.
Always such a pleasure joining you, Maria. Thank you so much!
To find out more about Elisa Boxer, or contact her:
Website: https://www.elisaboxer.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Elisaboxer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eboxer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boxerelisa/
Review of Pine Cone Regrown:
How One Species Thrives After Fire
After all the recent wildfires around the world, including California and Oklahoma, this book offers a glimpse at some of the good that actually arises in nature only after a fire. Observing events from the viewpoint of a pine cone and its experience with a forest fire, this book offers the reader insight into nature's rejuvenation and a glimmer of hope.
Pine Cone Regrown: How One Species Thrives After Fire
Author: Elisa Boxer
Illustrators: Kevin & Kristen Howdeshell
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press (2025)
Ages: 5-8
Informational Fiction
Themes:
Forest fires, Lodgepole pine trees, pine cones, resiliency, and rejuvenation.
Synopsis:
Through lyrical prose and stunning art, learn how one tree species thrives through fire.
One pine cone hangs in wait at the top of a tall lodgepole pine--for forty years it waits. But it watches as a small spark flickers into flame. It watches as the flames whip into a forest fire, sending animals fleeing. It watches as the flames grow higher and hotter--until the pine cone cracks open. As the fire cools and dies, the pine cone finally drops its seeds into the soil. Soil that has been made rich by the fire, warmed by the sun that can reach the forest floor once more. And from that destructive start, comes new life once more.
This poetic story introduces readers to one of the serotinous tree species that can only grow anew when the seeds face fire. Back matter includes additional information on forest fires and lodgepole pines.
Opening lines:
Nestled in the needles,
seeds sealed inside,
the pine cone
hangs high out of harm’s way,
just as it has
for forty years.
What I LOVED about this book:
Lyrical text teams up with lovely vintage feel illustrations to bring to life the more unusual cycle of the lodgepole pine tree. A cycle that actually requires a forest fire. This informational fiction is ingeniously told from the viewpoint of the lightly anthropomorphized pine cone.
Text © Elisa Boxer, 2025. Image © Kevin & Kristen Howdeshell, 2025.
From its perch in the tree's branches, the pine cone has peered "down on the forest friends below: Gathering.
Nibbling. Nesting. Grazing." for forty years. This is such a sweet composite, almost collage-type, image of life in the forest.
Text © Elisa Boxer, 2025. Image © Kevin & Kristen Howdeshell, 2025.
Although this beautifully serene scene is quickly destroyed by the careless actions of campers - "a forgotten campfire, once crackling, still smoldering, sends up a spark." - sending hungry red flames surging through the forest, burning the lower trees and threatening the wildlife, the pine cone remains nestled high in the branches watching as the animals flee and burrow. [Look back at the interview above, for this image of the animals' desperate race to escape the fire.] Safe. Until the fire starts to climb its tree.
In the end, even the pine cone and the lodgepole pine tree are not immune to the fire.
Text © Elisa Boxer, 2025. Image © Kevin & Kristen Howdeshell, 2025.
The cone cracks open and the
seeds
start
falling.
.
The deeply charred red and black images exuding feelings of desolation and despair, are quickly replaced with hope. With resilience over adversity. And with rejuvenation, as the unique life cycle of the lodgepole pine (and other serotinous tree) is highlighted. The back matter explores the increased devastation of modern forest fires, the role of fires in forest rejuvenation, the role of adversity in our own lives, and then shares some of the species that only renew after a fire. This is a beautiful introduction to the special connection between fire and certain plants and animals and a fun look at the lodgepole pine's unique reproduction.
Resources:
go for a walk and collect as many different types and sizes of cones as you can. Try to identify them. Sort them according to size and then type of tree.
Then try an experiment and see how pine cones can predict the weather.
Check out Smokey Bear’s Five Rules for Wildfire Prevention and fun activity guide.
Sounds lovely -- text and illustrations and learning all in one.