cover image I Wish I Had a Big, Big Tree

I Wish I Had a Big, Big Tree

Satoru Sato. Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books, $10.95 (36pp) ISBN 978-0-688-07303-9

Not since Swiss Family Robinson has there been a treehouse as magnificent as the one Kaoru is planning. In his imagination, several ladders zigzag up a giant tree to the house level and beyond to the lookout platform near the top. Kaoru has rigged a basket and pulley so his younger sister can visit his hideaway and share pancakes with him. No details are spared; clever Kaoru even plans different seasonal uses for his structure. And when he shares his ideas, Kaoru discovers that his father had a similar vision when he was young. Because there are no trees near their house, they plant one. Sato's story is a celebration of the precise ingenuity of young children. This lively fantasy also emphasizes the peaceful coexistence between Kaoru and the other tree dwellers. Animals and bugs abound in the colorful pictures, playfully turned sideways to show the great height of the tree; the endpapers provide a sketchy blueprint for this castle among the leaves. Ages 3-7. (May)