Treeshape by Trace Balla

On the cover of this heartwarming and inspiring graphic novel, Trace Balla is shown lying along the curved branch of an ancient tree, hugging it with a peaceful smile on her face. For Trace Balla, 'The shape of a tree is the shape of me,' such is her close affinity to nature.

In Treescape, she tells the story of her life. When she was a child, her mother suffered from a deep depression, so Trace would go outside and climb up a large tree and spend hours held by its solid, reliable arms.

‘Somehow the spirit of that place seeped into my bones and connected me to this great country’ she writes.

And this deep connection to the natural environment has shaped the rest of her life and led her to want to protect it from harm.

Her political activism was inspired by her Father, whose experiences as a child refugee in wartime Hungary led him to become very active in the anti-Vietnam War movement.

Early on in her life as an artist, she decided she wanted to create art on the themes of human rights and environmental care.

‘To make art that inspires thought and action towards making the world to be a better place.’ And in this graphic novel, she tells how she has kept her promise.

An incredible experience was going on a Great Walk, ten blissful days walking in old-growth forest. She lingered at the back of the group to draw what she saw. But then the guide, without warning, led them straight into a huge logging coupe. The utter destruction of the forest and all the creatures who live there felt devastating.

She joined a massive protest to save Kakadu National Park, a world heritage site, from uranium mining and answered the call from the local Mirarr clan to join them at Jabiluka to support them. She found their commitment to protecting their homelands deeply inspiring.

In 2025, she joined a group of artists to engage in artivism (art activism) to help protect the ancient Takayna rainforests, which were threatened by loggers, mining, feral animals and climate change.

Her life changed after she had her baby boy Joey. As he grew, they became a twosome enjoying being out in the countryside together and foraging. And then life changed again when he left home.

Trace Balla has drawn many little comicky figures, showing those who accompanied her on her life’s journey, celebrating nature and protesting against its destruction. Their snippets of conversation in speech bubbles help to tell her story.

In her illustrations, she has perfectly captured the light and colours of the Australian bush. The synergy between these beautiful illustrations and her lyrical words makes this a stunning book. And the tiny, detailed drawings of local plants and animals encapsulate their diversity and make you want to linger on each page.

The Australian setting makes it a book which will resonate especially with Aussies. But in other countries, including Aotearoa, logging of native forests has also damaged ecosystems. And the wisdom she learnt from Australian aboriginals about the intimate relationship between their land and their culture is shared by indigenous people around the world. In New Zealand too there is a well-known Māori whakatauki:

‘Ka ora te whenua. Ka ora te tangata.

 When the land is well, the people are well.

At the end of her book, there is a message for all her readers, both young and old: ‘to recognize the new branches in your life as you come to them and to follow your heart’

It’s a touching, inspirational book which would be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Reviewer: Lyn Potter

Allen & Unwin