My Friend Tree

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Pub Date 2 Apr 2024 | Archive Date 1 Mar 2024

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Description

Discover the touching story of a young girl and boy, and an ancient old oak tree, in this sweet picture book about friendship, growing up, and our connectedness with nature.

Told in minimal and poetic rhyming text from folktale writer Dawn Casey, and with soft, romantic artwork by Montréal illustrator Geneviève Godbout, the story introduces a girl and a boy who grow up alongside their friend, an old oak tree.

The tree is a constant presence in their lives as they play.

Inspired by their shared love for their old friend, they plant a new forest, and tend to it together, finding their feelings for one another deepening and changing alongside the growing saplings.

As their relationship blossoms, so too does the forest.

The loving couple add three joyful children to the branches of their flourishing family tree, and the woodland thrives and grows with them – one living, loving family.

This sweet and timeless tale packs an emotional punch, showing how love is all around us, and includes instructions for how to plant an acorn and grow your own oak tree, wistfully reflecting the beauty of nature and family.

A beautiful and romantic picture book from the author and illustrator pairing behind the best-selling Apple Cake. A celebration of love and connectedness with nature, this book is printed on environmentally friendly 100% recycled paper. It’s a calming read for kids and a lovely reminder that nature connects us all and of the touching harmony between us as people. A great gift for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, National Arbor Day, Father’s Day, or just as a touching keepsake for loved ones.
Discover the touching story of a young girl and boy, and an ancient old oak tree, in this sweet picture book about friendship, growing up, and our connectedness with nature.

Told in minimal and...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9780711269880
PRICE US$19.99 (USD)
PAGES 32

Available on NetGalley

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Average rating from 67 members


Featured Reviews

What a sweet poetic picture book! This book tells a beautiful story of two young children growing up and falling in love under their favorite tree, and growing their own family while also growing more trees. I feel like it's a beautiful ode to the circle of life as well as to nature and the way it changes with us. I would recommend this book for other parents looking for a picture book with poetry included.

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This story follows two children as they grow and their shared love for a tree. They describe what the tree provides for them, and the ending made me love this story so much more. I love that this book includes steps to plant your own acorn and is printed on recycled paper.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

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What a cute little story! I love this tale of the tree bringing two friends close and as they age taking care to plant new trees and roots of their own as well. Well written, illustrations are adorable. Really glad we read this one as a family.

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What a lovely litte gem of book about an oak tree. It is so simple yet so beautiful. The illustrations are wonderful. All i have to say is this book is so comforting and it feels like you are growing with them and tree as you turn every page :)

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My library will be purchasing this book and encouraging everyone to read it. It's beautiful and emotional. Every reader will feel the warmth of this book and we plan on putting it on display. Wonderful!

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Everything about this was beautiful; the rhyming, the illustrations, and the over arching story. A few tears were shed, but I still smiled the entire time. I cannot wait to have this in our library. What a sweet, sweet book.

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This book is so lovely and charming. Follow two kids who meet and play by a tree- as the tree grows up, so do they; and the importance of the tree is always with them. A great book to talk about nature and the passage of time with children. The illustrations are subtle and delightful.

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My Friend Tree is a beautiful store of a little boy and girl and their ‘friend tree’.

The illustrations are soft and warm, and perfectly capture the golden filtered light under a tree. Told in equally soft, warm, simple and lyrical prose, the story gently explores the different roles the tree plays, both in its environment, and through the cycle of life.

This book is an easy five stars. It’s simple text will make it more easily accessible for children to read, and I think their grown ups will love sharing this read with them.

Thank you Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

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This was so sweet! I love the rhyming of all the things the tree did for them. The ending was the sweetest with the growing family. I also loved the acorn insert in the back.

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This is a sweet book about what a friend a tree can be to all-people, animals, birds, etc. I love the illustrations and how the tree grow with along with a boy & girl. It ends with information about planting a tree from an acorn. This would be a must have read aloud for Arbor Day!

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My Friend Tree by Dawn Casey.
Told in minimal and poetic rhyming text from folktale writer Dawn Casey, and with soft, romantic artwork by Montréal illustrator Geneviève Godbout, the story introduces a girl and a boy who grow up alongside their friend, an old oak tree. The tree is a constant presence in their lives as they play. Inspired by their shared love for their old friend, they plant a new forest, and tend to it together, finding their feelings for one another deepening and changing alongside the growing saplings. As their relationship blossoms, so too does the forest. The loving couple add three joyful children to the branches of their flourishing family tree, and the woodland thrives and grows with them – one living, loving family.
This was a lovely story for children and adults. I loved the illustrations. Very vibrant. 5*.

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This sweet little book made me literally cry at the end. I loved this book and the message that is sent.

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A sweet narrative shows how growing up around nature, nurturing the space around it, brings new life and changes. From the animals and plants living among the bark and leaves to the ever expanding families. The instructions on how to create.your own mini forest was a cute bonus.

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I loved everything about this book! As a Second Grade teacher, the Science aspect of this book fits directly into the Common Core Stsndards for our grade. From a DEI perspective, this book did a beautiful job of including characters of multiple races and ethnicities. It is first and foremost a story of love. The love for nature and humanity jump off the page! It’s such a beautiful story and I LOVE that it has the steps for how to plant an acorn at the end. The blending of Science and the story of friendship and love blend perfectly together. This book would make an excellent present and also will be an addition to my classroom library once it’s published. It will also take center stage in our unit on Ecology. This book is a perfect way to encourage children to love trees!

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Thank you netgalley for this read .What a cute story about trees and growing .I could see this book in a kindergarten class.I liked all the rhyming of the words.It did keep my attention.I liked at the end how the book showed about an acorn growing .I did think there could be a little more colors in the illustrations.

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My Friend Tree was such a fun book to read! The illustrations really added to the poetic writing. The story of the boy and girl also connect the reader to what is happening. This book leaves the reader with the desire to contribute to nature, which is why I think the instructions at the end were a nice added touch. Overall, it was a beautiful story that showed the importance of nature in a new and unique way!

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A simple loving story about a tree shared by two friends as they grow up ends with a lesson in how to grow a tree from an acorn. Perfect!
The illustrations by Geneviève Godbout are simple, meaningful, imaginative, clear, and with gentle colors.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, and especially to a school or teacher or your public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Quarto Publishing Group – Ivy Kids, Ivy Kids Eco via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available April 02, 2024

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Absolutely stunning! Lovely story. Gorgeous illustrations. Just beautiful. Thanks #NetGalley #DawnCasey

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My Friend Tree is about a young boy and girl’s love of a large oak tree and their love that grows from friendship to starting a family of their own. The metaphor for adults is clear, friendships and relationships are beautiful, valuable things that provide so much for us and in return when we nurture and care for them, they grow and continue to hold and support us. For the kids, it’s a sweet story of what happens when you care for nature and your friends. The artwork is bright and immersive and the diversity of the characters is beautiful. If you’re looking for a tender story that both kids and adults will appreciate, this is the book for you.

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I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a beautiful book. The pictures are wonderful and the text is fantastic!

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The illustrations are soft and warm, and perfectly capture the golden filtered light under a tree. Told in equally soft, warm, simple and lyrical prose, the story gently explores the different roles the tree plays, both in its environment, and through the cycle of life. This book is an easy five stars. It’s simple text will make it more easily accessible for children to read, and I think their grown ups will love sharing this read with them.

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Awwwww! This book is the absolute sweetest! Watch the illustrations carefully with this one if you want the full impact of the story. I had a favorite tree as a kid. I still remember it and the games we played together fondly even though she is a continent away and I haven't seen her in over 30 years.

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I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
One boy and one girl meet at their favorite Tree throughout every moment in their lives. From singing and playing to a surprise proposal, these two do everything with their friend, Tree.
A heartwarming tale of growing up and into adulthood, this picture book spans the lives of two people. Beautiful pastels fill the pages that always have the Tree at the heart of it all. "My Friend Tree" teaches us about caring for and respecting nature.

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

The illustrations in this book were just darling! I would've loved this book if it had been on the market as a child. It teaches children a very powerful lesson that trees need to be treated with tender love and care. This is another book I think should be on teacher's and librarians must purchase lists!
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What an incredibly cute, family based, happily ever after story! Sweet and to the point. Feel good. All the things. Loved it!

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A boy and a girl befriend the same large oak tree and see different characteristics in it. As the tree grows, the two characters grow and eventually plant some saplings around their old friend. Soon both the tree's family and the main characters families both grow. The gentle illustrations support all the levels of care found in their friendship.

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