The Shade Tree

 The Shade Tree

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       August 23, 2023

 

Author  Suzy Lee

Distributor:      Greystone Books
ISBN:                 978-1778400186
Publisher:         Greystone Kids
Release Date:   August 2023  

Website:    https://greystonebooks.com/products/the-shade-tree 

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This wonderfully simplistic tale, The Shade Tree has shades of ancient stories. It talks about greed, sharing, nature and good defeating evil. The story revolves around the shade that a large tree gives. The villagers like to lie under the tree to revive in the coolness.

However, the rich man who owns the tree demands that they move as by right he owns the shade it produces and is not willing to share. A young traveller comes up with a solution which not only enable the villagers to enjoy the shade but ends in a satisfactory banishment for the wealthy man.

The language used is simple but conveys a depth of meaning. “As the shade grew longer the traveller moved with it.” It is this simplicity of language combined with the basic illustrations which give a rich and in-depth meaning to the story.

Pure white background on each page makes the text easy to read and gives the illustrations a clarity and sharpness of meaning. The tiny figures of the local villagers have so much joy and action that they are a delight to see.

Even the end pages with their tiny lines are a pleasure to the eye. Suzy Lee has won several prestigious awards, including the Hans Christian Andersen award for excellence. The Shade Tree is a gentle reminder that kindness is never wasted.

Childrens