The Three Trees by Elena Pasquali

Three forest trees dream of what they will one day become. One dreams of becoming a royal throne; one of being a ship that can withstand any storm; and one longs to stay in the forest and grow as tall as tall can be. When they are felled, it seems their dreams are over. But as each tree is crafted into a new item--a manger, a fishing boat, and a rugged cross—it becomes clear that through the role they play in one important life their hopes are more than fulfilled.



This traditional folktale is accompanied by stylish artwork from a highly sought-after children's book illustrator, and will help set the Christmas and Easter stories into the overall context of the Christian faith.

My review:I have always loved this story, and was happy to see it come up for review. There have been several versions of this done over the years by different authors and publishers. This newest is from Kregel Publishing, and a new author.  This version is done very well. The author did a great job of telling this familiar story, and the illustrator also did a great job of illustrating the book.

If you are not familiar with the story, it is the story of three young trees who all have aspirations of what they want to be when they grow up. It looks like they are going to be totally different from what they wanted, but in the end they turn out to be so much greater than they had dreamed.

 This is a great book for kids and grown-ups alike, and if you don't own a copy of this timeless story, this would be a great addition to your library.

About the author:
Elena Pasquali studied romance languages at university and has a special interest in researching folk tales. She worked for some years in children's publishing before going on to be an author in her own right.

About the illustrator:
Sophie Windham has illustrated books for Bloomsbury and Orchard and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal for Unicorns! Unicorns! by Geraldine McCaughrean.



The Three Trees is available from Kregel Publishing.

Thanks to Kregel for the review copy.