Spark and Pook Review Little Tree by Loren Long

Little Tree, published in 2015 was written and illustrated by award winner, Loren Long, creator of the Otis series.Don't let the cover fool you; it is not a book just for fall. It is a story that goes through all seasons. The story follows Little Tree as he grows alongside the other little trees until one day in the autumn when he refuses to let go of his leaves.  As time goes on, the other little trees continue to go through their cycles of dropping their leaves and sprouting new ones, and so they grow and grow and grow. Still, Little Tree refuses to let go. His growth is stunted until he finally realizes that he must let go in order to grow. The simple text and beautiful illustrations of inquisitive woodland creatures attract young readers, but the message of this book is timeless and can be applied to all seasons of life. There are so many ways readers, of all ages, can relate to this idea that in order to grow and experience the fullness of life, we must first allow for change and sometimes even a little pain. At first, I was concerned that my three year old daughter wouldn't be able to relate to a book with such a deep message. She was able to grasp the gist of it though, on her level.  She understood that Little Tree needed to drop his leaves, and she was happy for him when he finally did.This is another book, I'm glad to have on my bookshelves.[bctt tweet="We will be able to relate to this story in different ways as we come back to reread it again and again over time. That makes it an instant classic in my opinion. "]

Please note: I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was chosen to be part of the 12 Days of Picture Books of 2015 by Penguin Random House. Visit their page on Facebook to enter the sweepstakes for a free picture book.