It tells the reader to see the tiniest details and appreciate all that we have every day. It makes us realize that sometimes we don’t see the forest because of the trees. A thoughtful book to be read to children by their parents, and then discussed so that children will begin to see the beauty and life that surrounds them.” A tree is life-giving, and this beautiful story shows us that our ecosystem is vital and sustains us. “ A lovely and wise story about the earth’s resources all around us, which give life to ALL the living. “ This lovely little story educates and teaches children of the world how very important it is to take care of trees that provide for our environment and our well-being.” It tells the reader to see the tiniest details and appreciate all that we have every day.” Children will enjoy predicting how Tora will interpret the landscape with her imagination. The illustrations are appealing single and double spreads that seem to be done in a combination of watercolor paint and colored pencil. I think the story would be better off without it.

It almost seems to say that with imagination even a clear-cut forest can be fun. I’m not sure how the reader is supposed to take the scene. Depressed, her father sits down while Tora plays with imaginary trolls. Her father tells her there was once a “troll forest” here. There is a strange moment in the story when Tora and her father come across a field of stumps. They have a wonderful day and at the end Tora says, “and good night, best Dad in the world.” The story ends with an epic battle between Tora and the “crocodile” that is trying to eat her father. Tora begins to use her imagination, transforming a root into a snake, tree trunks into giraffes, and so on. Her father spots a woodpecker, but it flies away before Tora can see it. What she most wants to do is see wild animals. She thinks her father is terribly boring. Tora is excited to be going camping with her father, however she is disappointed that they go shopping for food instead of living off the land and have to drive so far to get to the forest. Click here to buy Watch Out for the Crocodile

The Amida Tree by Bonnie Ferrante