Albert's Tree

Reviewed by: Margy Soule - Coffin Elementry School, Brunswick, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 8, 2018

Review

Sweet, wide-eyed baby bear is part of a gentle story about assumptions and fear. In the spring he hears crying coming from his favorite tree, and he thinks it must be a monster inside the tree. His animal friends are no help trying to figure it out, and so he bravely climbs up to ask, "Why are you crying tree?" As it turns out, it is a baby owl who is afraid of the "big, hairy monster" i.e. baby bear. They laugh at their mistakes and become friends. The last scene is of owl snoozing on bear's back who is peacefully sleep on a limb. The mixed media (including watercolor?) paintings have few details but show the setting to include a forest with a big ever green tree. On the cover, bear looks right out at the reader/viewer and invites them into his story. Recommended as a gentle lesson about acceptance, assumptions, and openness to others without being preachy.

Overall Book Score: very good