Kate is heartbroken when her favorite tree is cut down and shipped off to Rockefeller Center for use at Christmas, along with the bird who has been living in the tree.
Otulissa shares stories of Ga'Hoolian history learned through her studies in the libraries of the Others and at the Great Ga'Hoole tree, telling of the dire wolves, the owls, and other creatures.
Text and drawings follow the growth cycle of twelve common flowering trees: pussywillow, white oak, sugar maple, elm, apple, horse chestnut, flowering dogwood, magnolia, witch hazel, black walnut, black locust, and tulip tree.
The golden age dawning at the Great Ga'Hoole Tree does not unfold as expected, and conditions worsen as the young king hunts for the truth about his ancestry.