In the middle of a little forest, there lives a Little Tree, who loves his life and the splendid leaves that keep him cool in the heat of long summer days. Life is perfect just the way it is.
Loren Long hasputt puff puttedy chuffed his way all over the bestseller lists with such titles asOtis,Otis and the Tornado,Otis and the Puppy, An Otis Christmas, Drummer Boy,Toy Boatby Randall de S ve, andMr. Peabody's Applesby Madonna. He's also had the opportunity to modernize the classicThe Little Engine That Couldby Watty Piper and had the distinct honor of illustratingOf Thee I Singby President Barack Obama. A graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago, Loren lives in Ohio with his wife, Tracy, and their two sons.You can visit Loren Long at www.OtisTheTractor.com and www.LorenLong.com. Follow @lorenlong
* "The illustrations are beautifully rendered . . . Understated and
inviting, young readers will be entranced by Little Tree’s
difficult but ultimately rewarding journey."—Booklist, starred
review
"Long’s gentle but powerful story about a young tree who holds
tight to his leaves, even as everyone else lets theirs drop, takes
on nothing less than the pain and sorrow of growing up. Season
after season, Little Tree clings to his brown-leaved self until he
can take a leap and shed his protection. He feels ‘the harsh cold
of winter,’ but soon grows tall and green, and it’s not bad at all.
As in Long’s unaccountably profound books about Otis the tractor, a
pure white background somehow adds to the depth."—The New York
Times Book Review
* "[Long's] willingness to take his time and even test the
audience’s patience with his arboreal hero’s intransigence results
in an ending that’s both a big relief and an authentic triumph.
Long’s earnest-eloquent narrative voice and distilled, single-plane
drawings, both reminiscent of an allegorical pageant, acknowledge
the reality of the struggle while offering the promise of brighter
days ahead."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Long is sparing with the text, keeping it simple and beautifully
descriptive. Brilliantly colored illustrations done in acrylic,
ink, and pencil stand out on bright white pages, with Little Tree
taking the center position in each double-page spread. Tender and
gentle and altogether lovely."—Kirkus Reviews
"Children will see the tree facing the scariness of change; adult
readers may well feel wistful as the story underscores the need to
let their babies grow toward independence. Beautiful. Grade:
A"—Cleveland Plain Dealer
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