Book Title: 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.
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.
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
My Thoughts
When I first was given the opportunity to review this book I didn’t immediately jump on board. I wasn’t really sure if this book would be of much interest to my kids or even me. However, I was given another opportunity and I decided to give it a try. I’m really glad for second chances because this book really was enjoyable and contains some really good lessons. The story was more than I expected, I was thinking “Oh this is another book about a talking object that has little meaning”. I am glad to say that I was wrong and this is a very nice book to add to a family library.
The book I received was a hardcover and the pages were good quality, thick so they can withstand the hands of a child. Many of the illustrations are black and white, and there is on each page an object that is in color. This really gives you an apt to take in more of the story than to get distracted by the pictures. However, the illustrations are very nice and child-friendly. The book isn’t too long but it might be better suited for a child that is 5 and up. For the five to six-year-olds, I would suggest reading this with some different tones in your voice and being animated, this would be the best way to keep them from feeling the book is too long for them. For older kids, they probably would still enjoy the story if you read it different tones and were animated too 🙂
The story is about a little girl, Amanda, and her cat gets outside. While looking for her cat she talks to a tree and the tree talks back to her. But the trees have been told that humans are not kind to trees and to not talk to them at all. The trees get a little scared they will get in trouble for talking to her. Her cat continues through the woods and she follows talking to various trees along the way. They all repeat the feeling of being scared to talk to her for fear that they will get in trouble. Then in the woods, she meets a tree that does not like humans and he is filled with anger. Will Amanda be able to show this tree that not all humans share the same feelings? Can she show her compassion and kindness?
This is a good story that does share many topics children face but might not know how to deal with such as bullying and being different. It also highlights the need for kindness and compassion but also shows how anger and misrepresentation can hurt yourself and others.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author as part of iREAD Book Tours. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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