This is the fruit from the tree.  The seeds are star shaped in the book, so I designed the fruit to mimic that motif.  It's kind of a blend of a star fruit and pomegranate.  If eaten the fruit will offer rejuvenating benefits to your health.  

Didn't want to show people in the scene, but wanted to show the death of poachers by the Black Panther.  So I used there mangled riffle to show the wrath and force. 

A show down at the base of the Tree between the infamous jaguars and Marcus.

Marcus slipping and falling down into a river where he is swept away inevitably getting lost in the Forest.

Bushmaster snake! One of the most venous snakes in South America.

Java

Java is a Black Panther and is king of the jungle.  He plays the enforcer of the all who come in his path.  He is rivaled by two jaguars competing for rights over his land. 

These cup like leaves from the tree hold clean drinkable water in a very tainted South American Rainforest where good water is hard to find.  Be careful though, the toxins in the chlorophyll seep into the water and will make people sick.  The hallucinogenic properties make you understand what the animals are saying!  

Secret of the Tree

Some chapter heading illustrations for a book I'm working on.

Secret of the Tree Cover

Here's a start to my book cover I've been working on about a kid who finds serenity in the rainforest.