Review of The Trees Have Hearts: A Very Special Story

Review of The Trees Have Hearts

PUBLISHED ON BETWEEN THE BOOK COVERS 

Reviewed by  Carla Ives 

It's very unusual for me to read a children's book as my children are all grown up now and there are no grands quite yet. I am a huge fan of reading to your child, though, and I read to mine for as long as I can remember. They are now three excellent readers. But when I met Mrs. D and she gave me a gift of several of her beautiful books, I decided to revisit the world of children's books.

Although I have several of Mrs. D's books, I began with The Trees Have Hearts as I was intrigued by her story of coming to America in 1992 with her ​​two young children to a new world and a new life.

The Trees Have Hearts tells the story of a beautiful little girl with dark curly hair who is very sad because she can not make friends. Why? She can not speak the language. This little girl came from a faraway place and the other children make fun of her because she can not talk to them.

In the garden of her new home are three very beautiful trees. Hearing games crying to herself, the trees attempt to make friends with the little girl. How is this possible, you ask? Because, the according to the Chance Plum Tree, "Trees speak all the languages ​​in the world."

The little girl has good times and adventures with her trees and even Old Man Wind gets in on the games. She is lonely no more. But as time passes and her language skills improve, she begins to make new human friends. Not wanting to lose her, the trees make a pact that they will shelter all of her human friends, too.

There is much more to the story, but you'll have to read it for yourself. One thing you will notice about The Trees Have Hearts  that is it's much longer than a regular American story book. Mrs. D told me That she was shocked when she came here by how short our kids' stories were. Her children would be like, "that's all?" So she decided her stories would be more like the stories she grew up with in the Ukraine. The book is 8.5 "by 11" in size and has approximately 40 readable pages.

Highlighting the story are the beautiful illustrations by Juli Hasegawa. They are graceful and gentle really fit the tone of this lovely story. The Trees Have Hearts has also earned the Mom's Choice Award for Excellence.

Incidentally, Mrs. D is Olga D'Agostino. I got to sit down and talk with her recently and learned about her stories and what inspired her to write in a language that was not her own. I have a few more of Mrs. D's delightful stories to tell you about and you'll be getting tidbits of Mrs. D's story with each upcoming book review.

If you'd like to read your child a very special story, I heartily recommend The Trees Have Hearts. It may take you more than one night to get through it, but I think every little girl would love to sit on your lap and hear the story of the child from far away who was lonely because she could not speak the language. Children of all ages will understand the little girl's pain and empathize with her ​​journey to new friendships, games spurred on by loving garden trees.

You can get your own copy of The Trees Have Hearts from  Amazon or Barnes & Noble .

Mrs. D kindly provided me with a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

About Carla Ives 

My Pen, Your Voice

Founder and CEO Between The Book Covers

Between The Book Covers features the oftentimes opinionated book reviews of Carla Ives, a self-described Jill of all trades, master of a few.

Carla loves history books, historical fiction and historical romance, all of which you will find on this site, along with any other books that may come her way. 

You just never know what will appear next on her website.

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Can You Howl Ho Ho Ho? Children's Books by C.L. Murphy

Take a trip to the North Pole with your little ones!

Lobo's Howliday 

The Adventures of Lovable Lobo # 4

by  C. L. Murphy

It's almost Christmas and Santa finds himself in quite the predicament due to unintended consequences as a result of trying something new. Lobo, and his raven sidekick, Roxy, travel to the North Pole to help the jolly ol' one and are guided by the Arctic animals. The colors of the season delight along the way and make for a howling good holiday. Can you howl Ho Ho Ho?

Reviewed by Mrs.D.

What could be more exciting than celebrating Christmas with an adorable wolf pup (Lobo) and his friends? Who can resist the rainbow sky, trees, and houses? I could not!

What an adorable book for little children! The vivid illustrations, filled with snow and happy images, burst from every page. They take readers far away into a snowy land full of magic and fun. Traveling with Lobo and his friends to the magical world of Santa and his helpers, children will learn about animals that live at the North Pole. In this story, the author cleverly adds a good message about sharing, giving, and helping others.

CL Murphy has constructed a sweet story for teaching young children who like reading lighthearted books. I just wish this book could be available in print. It would make a beautiful Christmas stocking stuffer.

 VIDEO ON YOUTUBE:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHhOIzd7iAk # t = 28

MORE BOOKS FROM  CL Murphy

As a right of passage, Lobo, a wolf pup is expected to bring back dinner for his pack on his very first solo hunt. He has a real problem with this, but with the help of Popo, his opossum friend, they come up with a plan in hopes of fooling the pack.

Silly is what Lobo does best in this adventure where he visits the barnyard. Who knew he could have so much fun slopping and plopping with the farm animals? Lobo soon realizes that he is better off being true to his lovable wolf self.

There's something in the forest that smells very different to Lobo in his third adventure. What could it be? He discovers Squatch, a little Bigfoot! Squatch leads Lobo and Roxy, to a clearing in the forest where they witness the Squatch Stomp. Stomp along to the beat just like the Bigfoots do! Find Squatch when he hides in the trees and learn the secret Bigfoot signal! BELIEVE!

YOUTUBE:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHRZS7BcxtI

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

FROM CATHY

I've been doodling my way through life ever since I won a school wide poster contest in the third grade. Creating is my passion! I've had the pleasure of working as an artist in residence, creating cartoons and painting murals with children at the local elementary schools. I just adore the wonder and the curiosity of young children. For years, I filed my picture book ideas away, until the reality of the empty nest syndrome sunk in and I decided to bring my favorite one to fruition.

I based the character, Lovable Lobo, on something very dear to my heart, a real wolf that I've raised for the last 13 years. Raising a wolf has been an interesting journey. I've felt the need to protect him his entire life, primarily due to the preconceived notions that wolves are to be feared.

I live amongst the wildlife in one of Oregon's beautiful forests. I have always appreciated nature and animals have always played a major role in my life. I was little girl who brought home the strays asking, "Can we please keep it?" At an early age I realized my connection with animals by training a wild Bluejay to appear on command and take food from my hand.

I hope you enjoy Lobo's adventures and you, too, will find Lobo lovable!

PLEASE VISIT CATHY'S ​​SITES:

WEBSITE 

BLOG

GOODREADS 

Educational Adventures For Children By Wendy Nystrom

Join James, Syvok, thirteen Yule Lads and, of course, Matthias as they cause a ruckus, create laughs, and create a Yuletide that you and James will always remember.

Tomfoolery and 13 Yule Lads of Iceland (James and Syvok)

Thirteen Santas! How neat! thinks James and Syvok as they set off on their third adventure. Little did he know the mischief these Yule Lads were capable of getting them all into. 

Reviewed by MRS.D.

What could be more exciting than a thrilling trip to the intriguing country of Iceland, with thirteen Icelandic Santas! The story starts with James reading a book about Iceland, and then his friends, Matthias and Syvok, and the cute glittering Dragonets visit his room. Soon afterward, they start their exciting adventures.

It is cold and dark, but the darkness does not scare the friends from flying north to frigid Iceland, which has a long list of Christmas traditions. From the first chapter, the author takes readers on a gripping ride. Readers quickly learn about the thirteen brothers (Santas) and what part they play in Christmas celebrations.

Just wait until they meet the Spooky Old Hag and her dragons, which will give readers goose bumps and chills! Do you really want to know what they eat for dinner? Well, I will keep this a secret for a while ...

Wendy Nystrom has created a fine story, which reminds me of old Christmas tales, where anything can happen. The Christmas Cat is interesting, and the dragons are just waiting for our heroes to make a wrong step. Luckily for the little adventurers, there were good Santas to protect them from the evil Old Hag.

Readers will love this book because, through the amusing adventures, the author introduces them to the beautiful country of Iceland, and they can easily learn about its traditions and culture. If your children like to read old stories with a modern twist, this book is definitely a great read.

Educational adventures for children  

Press Pack for Wendy Nystrom

 

Below you will find each of her books, synopsis for each, buy links, awards, and ways to connect with Wendy on social media, follow her work on her website, and other outlets.

Wendy Nystrom is a published author with Anchor Publishing Group, a wife and mother of three wonderful children. Wendy grew up in St. Paul, MN, and has lived at different points in her life in Minnesota, Texas, Idaho, Colorado, West Virginia, and Iceland. She currently resides in Michigan (USA). Wendy is an avid reader of many different genres; she love adventures, and devotes some of her time to being active in schools, the local library, and other community projects. She earned a BA in Geography concentrating on Urban Planning at Texas State University. Wendy began writing children stories in 2005 while living on the wonderfully imagination filled island of Iceland. Her writing paradise is sitting around a campfire deep in the mountains with a huge moon above with the mountain outlined all around while a story teller weaves a tale of adventure with a splash of fun as a pebble skips across the water.

Wendy's first children's book is James Saves the Moon.

James Saves the Moon: A young precocious boy finds himself on a true adventure in the beautiful mountains of Iceland when he climbs out his window one night in an effort to touch the moon. He starts out on a mission that ends up so much more. He meets a magical friend, named Syvok, who shows him the way and introduces him to trouble and keeps him safe all at the same time. He also meets Matthias, a majestic blue dragon who flies them anywhere they need to go. With the help of his new friends James not only gets to touch the moon, but ends up having to save it. James is returned home with a souvenir magic, incredible memories, and promises of more adventures with his new friends.

Awards : Readers Favorite 5 Star
Click the link to buy James Saves The Moon

 Wendy's second children's book is

Helga Returns: James and Syvok's Adventure 2

James discovers a footprint walking along the shoreline. His special rock glows, and his heart fills with anticipation. He is going to see his friend Syvok again! What awaits him now? As he looks to the beautiful mountains, Icelandic excitement grows. Syvok appears at James' window and they take off up the mountainside. With just a little fairy dust and magic a door opens where James finds himself face to face with a huge Troll. Helga introduces herself and they become quick friends. James soon discovers that Helga has been tossed out of her home because of a mistake she made. He embarks on a mission to find a way to help Helga get her old job back and win back the hearts of family and friends without getting tossed into the icy cold realms Himself.

Awards: Readers Favorite 5 Star

Click the link to buy "Helga Returns: James and Syvok's Adventure 2."

Wendy's third children's book is

 Tomfoolery and 13 Yule Lads of Iceland

What do you get? A lot of fun and Tomfoolery I'll bet! The Thirteen Yule Lads of Iceland are much different than the Santa Claus we know. They are mischievous, troublesome, funny, and full of curiosity. Much like James! When James visits them in their home with Syvok, he almost gets eaten by their mother and is taunted by the Christmas Cat. They know right where they are going to come when they visit town during the 13 days of Christmas. James finds out that the Yule Lads make the noisiest ever houseguests when they come to stay. They clang pots, slam doors, and even bring their own lamb. However, amidst all the ruckus they create the most joy and fun for the holidays.

Awards: Readers Favorite 5 Star

Click the link to buy "Tomfoolery and 13 Yule Lads of Iceland."

"Amongst The Clouds: James & Syvok Adventure 4" is in the works!

Wendy Also has an Urban Fantasy Short in an Anthology:

Paranormal Days Gone Awry

New Moon Brethren: Blaze

Changeling

 

 The story is told by a dragon named Blaze who belongs to an old secret society

made up of paranormal beings and humans to stop the dark one.

* A full novel is in progress based off this short story! *

Click the link to buy "Paranormal Days Gone Awry."

Connect with Wendy!

http://tinyurl.com/WNystromAuthor

http://authorwbnystrom.com/

http://wendysbookcase.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Wendysbookcase

https://www.facebook.com/Wendysbookcase

http://pinterest.com/wendysbookcase

http://wendysbookcase.tumblr.com/

http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/wendysbookcase

http://readersfavorite.com/book-review/1293

http://readersfavorite.com/book-review/11891