Tree and Me

Tree and Me is the sequel to Alison Jay’s gorgeous eco-adventure, Bee and Me, first published in 2016 and newly available in matching format to this story, i.e. large, sturdy and very appealing board book. Here, friends Daisy and Pedro take a bus from the city into the countryside to walk in the woods. Beneath the watchful eyes of squirrels, beetles and jays, they find a baby acorn ‘looking for a place to grow.’ They take it back to the city and Daisy researches what to do (using books not AI you’ll be glad to note). We see her planting the sleeping little acorn in a pot, carefully watering it and, as the seasons pass, a sapling growing. It grows quickly up from Daisy’s sill, past Pedro’s window above and to the sky. The children replant Tree in the ground and it grows magically into a huge oak, providing a dream adventure playground for their friends and neighbours, and a home for many, many creatures. As autumn approaches, Tree’s leaves fall and with them more little acorns. Riding on the backs of jays, the two children fly across the city, planting them to grow into similar spreading trees providing shade, greenery and homes for many creatures. Alison Jay’s delicate oil paintings create a dreamy feel and there’s a magic to the speed at which Tree grows as well as the children’s journey by jays, but the book is full of natural history too with the different woodland animals painted stylishly but realistically. Each spread is full of delightful detail, including witty visual jokes, and it’s a book that will invite multiple readings, revealing more each time. A final page explains how to grow your own oak tree in a pot on a windowsill and hopefully lots of readers will.