Walking Trees
by Marie-Louise Gay; illus. by the author
Primary    Groundwood    40 pp.
3/24    9781773069760    $19.99
e-book ed.  9781773069777    $16.99

Gay found inspiration for this winning story from reading about the residents of a Dutch city who transformed their streets into a “walking forest” by wheeling trees about in wooden containers. In this fictionalized telling, city girl Lily visits the woods and finds herself so enamored with trees that she asks her father for one for her birthday. She names her leafy new friend George. Gay deftly employs various shades of green in her playful mixed-media illustrations, which reflect the loving connection between child and tree. The tale takes an entertaining turn when Lily decides to show George the world beyond their tiny balcony. Lily pulls George about in a wagon and discovers that the tree provides shade and comfort to the people she meets along the way. Two boys tease her initially but learn that being in George’s shadow keeps their Popsicles from melting. They ask for trees of their own, and treemania spreads as other residents follow suit. Gay captures the joy of a diverse urban community bonding over nature that brings beauty to their locale and lives. The finale depicts people enjoying a park scene filled with trees of many colors and shapes before bringing the narrative back to Lily and George and a triumphant hug.

From the May/June 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.