You and Me and the Wishing Tree

October 3, 2016
Tillman's mixed-media collages always have an air of surreal magic to them, a quality that especially befits this dreamy story of a mother's visit to a wish-granting tree with her child. Writing in the voice of the parent, Tillman (You're Here for a Reason) follows the twosome through a day filled with one miraculous wish after another. First, the child wishes to fly ("In just a whistle's worth of time/ and not a second more,/ our feet were not attached to ground/ the way they'd been before"), and subsequent wishes lead to a beachfront breakfast with bears, hopscotching with a penguin and dog, and a brief flirtation with invisibility: Tillman gives the child a ghost of an outline as he or she bicycles past a field of flowers, a red cape trailing behind and training wheels firmly affixed to the bikeâsafety first, even when invisible. The well-constructed verse tends toward the sugary as it emphasizes the child's appetite for adventure and the mother's quiet devotion, though it's unlikely to bother Tillman's many fans. Ages 4â8. Agent: Cathy Hemming, Cathy D. Hemming Literary.

November 1, 2016

PreS-Gr 2-When a beautiful orange wishing tree appears on the lawn of a mother and son, they set off on a journey together. The boy wishes he could fly, and he and his mother travel through the wishes the boy continues to make, including a meeting with a unicorn, invisibility, and bear best friends with whom to share a picnic. But finally, when the boy has tired himself out, he wishes to be back home to go to bed. Then and only then do readers discover what the boy's mother has wished for. Gorgeous, magical illustrations complement this ode to the love between a parent and child. The joyous excursion through the boy's imagination makes for a sweet bedtime read, giving both parent and child a chance to share wishes great and small. VERDICT A delightful read for one-on-one sharing that is sure to find a place in most libraries.-Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT

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