Each night, Penny hears a beautiful, melodious whistling that comes to her in her sleep and enchants her dreams. Then the mysterious whistling suddenly stops. Hen Penny goes searching for its source, she unexpectedly experiences her Cherokee roots – a special gift that has been handed down to her.

Lyrically and skillfully woven, Audrey Penn’s tale recounts a child’s delight in awakening to her heritage. Lavishly illustrated by Barbara Leonard Gibson, The Whistling Tree reminds us all how deeply the past and the present are intertwined.

What Others Are Saying

“This wonderful book chronicles a young girl’s search for her Cherokee identity. Led by her dreams, she learns valuable lessons about her ancestral relationship to the natural world that sustains all of us. The imagery is powerful and instructive.”
-Wilma Mankiller, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, 1985-1995

“This Cherokee story takes a Native American child where every Native American’s spirit wants to be – into the into the ancestral homeland of belonging. Audrey Penn has captured the dream of longing in every Cherokee heart.”
-Martin Brokenleg, Professor of Native American Studies, Augustana College