A FOREST OF STORIES

Trees as a unifying theme work wonderfully in this volume filled with seven simply told tales. Introduced by a note about the characteristics of each tree, the stories range from the Chinese tale of the foolish man who begrudged a poor peddler’s enjoyment of the shade of his Cypress Tree (and because of his greed ended up in poverty himself) to a story from Japan—“The Chestnut Tree,” which uses a gift of friendship (and magic) to bring together a prince and his perspective bride. Lovely borders along the edges of each page of text illuminate events in each tale; occasional full-page watercolors and a vignette at each introduction add depth. The illustrations, filled with blues and greens—and vibrant splashes of pinks, oranges, and reds seem just right. Tiled leaf drawings fill the endpapers, making a complete package. A worthy collection giving another dimension to the study of trees. (source notes) (Folktales. 7-10)