Waage’s tender, gorgeously illustrated picture debut for children celebrates our vital and powerful relationship with trees. Told through the eyes of young girls from around the world, the story starts with the nature-loving youngsters sitting under trees and gazing up at their branches–but then “The girls grew. The trees grew. Upward and outward.” They progress to climbing the trees, then to planting them, and finally to helping care for and heal forests around the world. Though they live far apart, the girls are united in their actions, a theme that Waage illuminates with a poetic refrain: “On their own, together. With the world, always.”The highlight of this enchanting book is Ana-Maria Cosma’s dreamy watercolor illustrations. The colorful, soft-edged pictures show girls from a variety of countries and the trees they love: a lombi tree in the Republic of Congo, a banyan tree in India, an acacia tree in Australia, and a redwood in the United States. The smiling, culturally diverse characters are depicted lounging on branches, planting seedlings, and running and playing together, and the whimsical pictures seem to exist in the fuzzy space just between imagination and reality. Younger readers will be amused by the playful details–like the frolicsome squirrel making an appearance on several pages.
Waage, an environmental scientist, demonstrates her love for the natural world in spare, impactful prose. This quick, delightful read will pique the same curiosity in kids and adults, offering many opportunities to ask questions and do further research on different trees and the countries where they thrive. With its enduring message and exquisite illustrations, this story will help young readers understand the many ways trees protect us–and why we need to help protect them.
Takeaway: Waage’s tender, gorgeous picture book celebrates our vital relationship with trees through the eyes of young girls from around the world.
Great for fans of: Lola M. Schaefer’s Because of an Acorn, Peter Brown’s The Curious Garden.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
