A delightful winter's tale perfect for a cozy snowy-night bedtime reading.
Book Details:
The Wish Tree by Kyo Maclear, Illustrations by Chris Turnham
Chronicle Books
Published Sept 27, 2016
Hardcover, 40 pages
Ages 3 - 5
Content Rating: G
Book Description:
Charles wants to find a wish tree. His brother and sister don't believe there is such a thing, but his trusty companion Boggan is ready to join Charles on a journey to find out. And along the way, they discover that wishes can come true in the most unexpected ways.
The poetic text and heartwarming illustrations evoke the true essence of the holiday season and will inspire wishers everywhere. This gem of a book deserves center stage year round.
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Our Review:
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani & Son
During the winter, it's fun to read books with winter settings. Snow is a delightful thing for children and very much part of a Canadian's life. The Wish Tree is a perfect book to read to a child on a winter night just before bed.
Charles is a little boy (the youngest of 3 siblings) who goes everywhere with his faithful little red toboggan called Boggan. Charles wants to find a wish tree so he sets off on a search in the woods and along the way meets a variety of animal friends. He helps each of them along his way and gets a surprise at the end of the day.
The theme of friendship is strong in this book. Charles is a generous child, kind, full of imagination and a positive outlook. My son and I liked him instantly. His tobaggan has a personality too, almost like an imaginary best friend. The narrative makes good use of repetition as Charles experiences simple but profound adventures as he makes friends with the forest animals.
The illustrations are cute and suited to the target audience, the colors muted and earth-toned. One truly feels the peaceful setting and serenity that a snowy day in the forest invokes.
This book also gave my son and I the opportunity to discuss wishes, and how one can make a wish or dream or goal a reality through actions. This is a delightful book and perfect as a winter's tale.
Disclosure: Thanks to Raincoast Books for sending us this book for review. We were not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.
About the Author:
Kyo Maclear is an essayist, novelist and children’s author. She was born in London, England and moved to Toronto at the age of four with her British father (a foreign correspondent and documentary filmmaker) and Japanese mother (a painter and art dealer).
Kyo holds an Honors B.A. in Fine Art and Art History an M.A. in Cultural Studies from the University of Toronto, and is a doctoral candidate at York University where she holds a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.
Her short fiction, essays and art criticism have been published in Brick, Border Crossings, The Millions, The Volta, Prefix Photo, Canadian Art, Resilience, The Guardian, Uppercase, Quill and Quire, Shambhala Sun, Toronto Life, Azure, Brain Child, Saturday Night, The Globe and Mail, among other publications and anthologies.
Kyo lives in Toronto where she shares a home with two sons, two cats, and a singer.
Connect with the author: Website ~ Facebook ~ Instagram
Chris Turnham is an illustrator based in Los Angeles. He’s had a long production art career working as a visual development artist in the animation industry for clients including Sony Pictures Animation, LAIKA Entertainment, and Dreamworks Animation.
In addition to illustrating children’s books he spends much of his time in the studio pursuing his passion for printmaking. To see more of his work visit www.christurnham.com.
About the Illustrator:
In addition to illustrating children’s books he spends much of his time in the studio pursuing his passion for printmaking. To see more of his work visit www.christurnham.com.
I thought this book, and its message, were wonderful too.
ReplyDeleteI like the muted colors and the illustrations are beautiful. Sounds like a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing it.
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