The Curvy Tree: The Land of Stories (Picture Book)

PreS-Gr 2--A girl runs away to the forest and eventually collapses in tears at the foot of a curvy tree. The tree asks the girl why she is crying, and she tells him that the other children in her village are mean to her despite her kindness. They mock her appearance, glasses, speech, and intelligence. In an effort to cheer her up, the tree tells her his own history. Once the other trees teased him for being different, but when loggers came to the forest, they cut down all of the other trees. Being different saved the curvy tree. He was lonely but eventually grew tall enough that he could see other curvy trees in distant forests. From his branches, the girl sees the other trees, and in each one there is a child like her. The tree teaches her that life will improve as she grows and looks outward. The digital artwork is romanticized, befitting the story's tone, but the message is a bit over-the-top and saccharine. VERDICT The well-intentioned story is held back by awkward phrasing and cloying illustrations.--Laura Hunter, Mount Laurel Library, NJ