And The Trees Talked Back is a heartwarming tale of wonder, friendship, and self-discover that will captivate readers of all ages.
Meet Amanda, an extraordinary child with a unique gift — she can talk to trees.
Living in a quaint village with a mystical forest, Amanda's life takes an enchanting turn when she seeks out her inquisitive cat, Daisy. As the sun sets and the moonlight casts its glow, the duo embark on a thrilling night-time adventure.
As Amanda encounters ancient trees, she uncovers a world she never knew existed, where wisdom and acceptance coexist with fear and hatred. Amidst the rustling leaves and haunting shadows, she confronts the duality of nature, discovering the true meaning of good and evil. Her bonds with nature deepen and she learns to navigate the world where choices shape destinies.
My review:
I love trees! Yes, I am one of those tree huggers and kissers. Maybe that is strange ,but it made me want to read and review this lovely children's book. For me, to have a tree talk back would be awesome!
In this sweet book, the main character, Amanda, is just looking out for her kitten when she encounters the different personalities of trees that want to get to know a human. Isn't that cool?
I loved how each tree she encountered took time to know her and she to know them. Oh yes, she encountered one that was afraid of her too. That tree's fear was based upon natural things for a tree, like being cut down by humans. But kindness prevailed and understanding won out. If this does not sound familiar to life, then what is? I could not get enough of the tree to human conversation. This conversation also was for kids who could read fairly well. Although this book was most likely marketed as a picture book, it was anything but. The sentences are complex and meaningful.
If the story did not grab me enough, then there is the illustrations themselves. The author not only wrote the book but did them too. Each two page spread had a specific kind of tree that accompanied the pages. All the art work was done in black and white which made this reader wonder what they looked like but that is where the story became appealing.
This is such a well done book and I hope that the author might do a follow up. Great job! 5 stars for sure!
DIsclosure: I received a copy of this book to review. The views expressed here are 100% my own and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors, Network
About the author:
Burns, always an artist on the inside, breaks through his trial attorney exterior at age 63, to write and illustrate his first children’s book, And The Trees Talked Back. Three years in the making, Burns strives to convey a world where commonalities are more important than differences, where empathy is more important than distain and where making friends is more important than creating enemies. With no formal art training, Burns enjoys working in and learning new mediums and styles. His art has won awards in juried competition, been displayed on billboards, in government offices, the D’Amour Museum of Fine Art, and now graces the cover of Dave Brinnel's second CD, ALONE. His detailed illustrations of trees using pen and ink with washes of watercolor have been compared to the fantastical illustrations of Arthur Rackham and Maurice Sendak. Burns lives in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts with his wife, Heather and two dogs, where he is developing ideas for his next book.
1 comment:
Michelle, this is Fred Burns, the author and illustrator. Thank you for your wonderful review. I am so glad that you enjoyed the story and the illustrations. You are curious about what the trees looked like because my illustrations are in black and white. I can tell you that all of the trees are based on actual living trees. The bark of course is naturally brown or grey, so the illustrations are very close to looking like the tree. I would upload a side-by-side comparison but I don't see a way to do that. Instead I shall post on my Instagram account a photo of Amika together with my illustration.
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