Eliza’s Cherry Trees:
Japan’s Gift to America begins,
“Sometimes a person with a good idea can make a big difference.” And indeed
Eliza Scidmore did. She was a writer, a world traveler, a lover of natural
beauty, and, as recounted in Andrea Zimmerman’s picture book biography, the
person responsible for the planting of three thousand cherry trees in our
nation’s capital. Eliza grew up in her mother’s boarding house in Washington,
D.C., meeting people from all over the world who stayed there; her favorite
school subject was geography. She longed to visit distant places, and
eventually she did, supporting herself as a writer. She often traveled with her
brother, a diplomat in the Far East, and especially loved Japan and its
beautiful sakura (flowering cherry trees). After returning home, she
spoke with the person in charge of Washington, D.C., parks about planting sakura
there, near the water. She was told “no” but did not forget her dream over the
next twenty years. Eilza became a correspondent for the National Geographic
Society and its first female board member and took photos for the Smithsonian
Institution. Always glad to return home to Washington, D.C., she continued to
advocate for her cherry tree project with each new park director. Finally, in
1909, she wrote President Taft’s wife, First Lady Helen Taft, who thought it
was a wonderful idea. Plans moved forward with the generous support of a
Japanese scientist. In March 1912, the banks of the Potomac were planted with
the sakura that have become both a joyous aspect of our capital city and
an international symbol of peace and friendship. Illustrator Ju-Hong Chen’s illustrations capture perfectly the simple elegance
of this story and its sakura. Ages 5 up.
