Book Details:
And the Trees Talked Back
by Frederick J. Burns
Category: Children’s Fiction (ages 3 to 7), 48 pages
Genre: Children’s Book
Publisher: Frederick J. Burns
Release date: Nov 4, 2023
Content Rating: G. Suitable for everyone.
Book Description:
Meet Amanda, an extraordinary child with a unique gift — she can talk to trees.
Living in a quaint village with a mystical forest, Amanda’s life takes an enchanting turn when she seeks out her inquisitive cat, Daisy. As the sun sets and the moonlight casts its glow, the duo embark on a thrilling night-time adventure.
As Amanda encounters ancient trees, she uncovers a world she never knew existed, where wisdom and acceptance coexist with fear and hatred. Amidst the rustling leaves and haunting shadows, she confronts the duality of nature, discovering the true meaning of good and evil. Her bonds with nature deepen and she learns to navigate the world where choices shape destinies.
And The Trees Talked Back is a heartwarming tale of wonder, friendship, and self-discover that will captivate readers of all ages.
MY REVIEW
The first thing I want to mention is the illustrations in this wonderful story. They are incredible. I especially like that while they are mostly in soft gray, black and white, there are soft hints of other colors such as the red cardinal perched in a tree, the pale pink of Amanda’s sweater, and her calico cat, Daisy’s, light orange spots.
Longmeadow is no ordinary town and Amanda is no ordinary girl. She sees faces in the trees. All kinds of faces. When her beloved cat slips outside into the night and she goes in search of her, she’s surprised that she can talk to the trees, and they talk back.
“I never knew a tree could talk.”
” That’s funny,” replied the tree. “I never knew a human could listen.”
As Amanda continues talking to the trees, she’s told to keep their secret or human’s will cut them down. Kill them. It won’t matter that they provide the air to breathe. Fear would make them destroy the trees. I now know what the lack of color in the illustrations means to me. There’s good and evil. Black and white. And maybe something magical in between.
I truly enjoyed this wonderful adventure and often found myself grinning. The conversations between Amanda and the trees were often silly and fun. They were also a little sad and sometimes scary. There’s one big old tree that’s really mean and it hates humans. Especially Amanda who he calls Humanda.
Frederick Burns is a talented artist and a true story teller and this book will charm readers, young or young at heart.
5 STARS
Burns, always an artist on the inside, breaks through his trial attorney exterior at age 63, to write and illustrate his first children’s book, AND THE TREES TALKED BACK. Three years in the making, Burns strives to convey a world where commonalities are more important than differences, where empathy is more important than distain and where making friends is more important than creating enemies. With no formal art training, Burns enjoys working in and learning new mediums and styles. His art has won awards in juried competitions, been displayed on billboards, in government offices, the D’Amour Museum of Fine Art, and now graces the cover of Dave Brinnel’s second CD, ALONE. His detailed illustrations of trees using pen and ink with washes of watercolor have been compared to the fantastical illustrations of Arthur Rackham and Maurice Sendak. Burns lives in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts with his wife, Heather and two dogs, where he is developing ideas for his next book.
connect with author: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads
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