THIS IS MY TREEHOUSE

A spirited imagination transports a youngster to faraway places.

A pale-skinned child whose face is never visible in the illustrations has built a treehouse sanctuary in the forest behind Grandma and Grandpa’s garden. While sitting in this humble arboreal abode, the young narrator fantasizes about the treehouse transforming into everything from a ship “on a rolling ocean, full of fierce battleships” to a palace “full of jealous princes and princesses fighting over who should rule the land.” In the end, the treehouse represents the child’s “wildest adventures and biggest dreams.” Building upon imaginative play, a core childhood skill, this story allows readers to believe in worlds beyond what they see in front of them and gives them license to think creatively. The text alternates between describing concrete realities (the treehouse’s small size, its lack of a bathroom) and the protagonist’s fantasies, accompanied by saturated pencil, watercolor, and ink illustrations. Each spread includes spot art depicting the real-life objects the protagonist relies on, in the same palette as the main image. The text is occasionally halting, possibly a result of the translation (the title was originally published in French). Still, young readers will relate to the premise.

A satisfying fantastical journey that speaks to the power of fantasy and the importance of finding one’s sanctuary.