1. Children as authors
2. Plants
3. Stories and motifs
4. Trees

The idea for this story came to Tamina whilst she was sitting under a tree in her Sydney back yard. Written by Tamina and her mother, the book looks at things that make a tree smile. On each double page the title question is posed and an answer given. Illustrations have been brightly coloured and the trees given comical looks, including a diversity of faces. Each page background is in a different colour, mirroring the rainbow cover illustration. This book offers lots of appeal for sharing with the youngest children and early readers, or for getting the quiet ones to participate. It is a good book for repeating, joining in and making up extra pages, or modelling for a new project, such as 'What makes a bird sing?'

Tarmina Pitt is a Wuthathi and Meriam woman, as is her mother, Terri Janke. Illustrator Francine Ngardarb Riches is descendent of the Bardi and Jawi people from the Dampier Peninsula in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, and grew up on Sunday Island and at One Arm Point.

Series: Uupababa

1. Sydney Morning Herald 22/09/2003: The tooth fairy brought Tamina a publishing deal https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/the-tooth-fairy-brought-tamina-a-publishing-deal-20030922-gdhfi3.html
2. NGARDARB Francine Riches: Illustrator's web page http://users.tpg.com.au/richmob2/ngardarb/ngardarb.htm
3. NAIDOC Awards 2018: Tamina Pitt wins Youth of the Year https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2018/06/21/naidoc-awards-tamina-pitt-wins-youth-year