The Perfect Tree

The deep shadows and dark silhouettes on the cover and first few pages of this debut signal suspense, even scariness. The images feature intricate paper dioramas photographed against chilly blues and blacks. A boy named Jack is eager to find the right tree to chop down with his silver ax: “A perfect tree to hack! A perfect tree to stack!” But the mood changes as Jack slumps in disappointment, unable to find the right tree. Forest animals appear and show Jack a forest he hasn’t seen before. Brilliantly feathered birds swoop to greet him (“Jack’s heart soared as birds and feathers filled the air”), and a squirrel displays a tree packed with acorns and berries for the winter. All the while, the icy palette warms toward oranges and golds, and gentle prose shifts in and out of rhyme as Jack sees that “Every tree in the forest is perfect.” Though there’s a sense of preaching to the choir, Bonfield’s dense spreads create a vivid vision of the wealth of the forest and of Jack’s joy in its discovery. Ages 3–6. Agency: Bright Agency. (Jan.)