The Forever Tree

by Tereasa Surratt, Donna Lukas, Nicola Slater (Illustrator)

A fresh twist on Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree based on a real tree in Wisconsin that became something more, this is a timeless story about loss and renewal at home and in nature.

"This is a true story about a Tree that grew from something more than water and sunshine. It grew from love."

The animals and humans always knew their tree was special. The trunk was the best place to host championship bingo tournaments, and the branches were perfect for swinging in the shade!

But when the tree gets sick, neighbors new and old will have to join forces if they have any chance of saving their treetop home.

A touching tale based on the true story of one special tree, and the community that brought it back to life.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Animals, Friendship, Death, Juvenile

40 pages, Hardcover

Published January 23, 2018

Reviews

[Shelle Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bright, boldly colored art helps to tell the story of a tree much loved by both the local wildlife and their neighboring humans. When one spring the tree doesn’t come back to life and its existence is threatened, the animals gather the experts and artists from the human community to find a way to preserve it. It is a sweet imaginative story made all the more poignant by the author’s note telling of the true story behind this tree. Children will delight in its reading and will probably decide that chipmunks would make wonderful friends. This would be the story time book that kids will ask for again and again if only to hear about the clever forest creatures.

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[Jeniece Goellner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Wow! I got really emotional reading this book. My daughter was asking if I was ok. This tells a sweet conservation story about a tree getting a new life and living on all because of the people and animals who love it. It has lovely echoes of Shel Silverstein's THE GIVING TREE, which is already one of my favorite books. Full of bright colors, who's origin is based on a true story from Wisconsin, does have a slight fantastical, imaginative element that will appeal to young children. Adults, just be prepared to be moved and maybe shed a tear in front of your children.

[Aliza Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspired by a true story taking place nearby in Wisconsin!

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the pictures

[Ember Air · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! When I read the Giving Tree when I was little, I was so mad! It upset me greatly that the humans took and took and took from the tree, and I always wished that they had been nicer and gave back to the tree. Reading this book, I felt like someone else read the Giving Tree and was just as upset as I, because this is a REAL LIFE story (or based on one, anyway) about a tree giving and giving, and then the humans giving in return! The subject of death is mentioned in the book, but is done in such a way as to be easily explainable to the very young (if caught at all), and a great opening point for conversation for the older readers. A truly beautiful story that made my heart happy! I didn’t know I was waiting for this story <3!

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could have handled this sweet story, which is based on a true story, if it hadn't started with "This is a true story about a Tree that grew from something . . . "

Then we move into animals having sleepovers, weddings, and championship bingo tournaments inside. That might be wildly confusing to a child.

If it had just introduced with "This is a story about a Tree . . . " I could support it more wholeheartedly. There are some strange conventions that were distracting as well. The use of upper-case with words that didn't need them.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw an e-mail from Random House with this title included, I was intrigued and forwarded it to our youth services manager for consideration. She put the the book on hold from another library so we could take a look at it.

This is a charming book. If one can allow the story to wash over them and enjoy the colorful illustrations, the reader will be pleased. That was my approach on the first reading. On the second and third readings and after some discussion, I picked up the issues other reviewers have with this title. These issues would not be readily apparent to a young child, but as I read this aloud to Naomi, she noticed the irregularities (she is currently doing grammar lessons on proofreading).

Naomi did enjoy the story, which is the intent and hope of any author and illustrator. Naomi and I went to the website to learn more about the story. This is a fascinating and uplifting story of community, starring a wonderful tree - that we totally need more of.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful debut picture book, full of heart and reminiscent of THE GIVING TREE! This is a fictionalized story based on a real tree on a campground owned by one of the authors. When the tree becomes sick, the entire community rallies around it to create something beautiful. I especially loved the animal characters and their distinct personalities. The colorful midcentury-inspired illustrations are fun, too.

NOTE: Others have mentioned their annoyance at the book's use of capitalization for People, Animals and other nouns not typically capitalized because they're not proper nouns. I saw this as a style choice to show that the Animals, People, etc. are a specific group that serve as characters in the story. And naturally, Tree is the main character and it's a specific tree, so I understood why Tree would be capitalized.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This lovely picture book tells the story of a giant tree, beloved by animals and people, that gets some extra special treatment when it becomes too sick to survive on its own. The bright, colorful illustrations and the uplifting story of the creation of a treehouse for the community would be great to share with kids to help develop a growth mindset and also to discuss ways to preserve the natural blessings around us. This story was inspired by the authors’ purchase of Camp Wandawega in Wisconsin, where something similar occurred and resulted in the creation of an amazing treehouse. An author’s note on the last page tells about this and provides a few photographs of the tree. It also shares the web address of the camp (www.wandawega.com) where you can find out even more about this tree.

[Lauri Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of friends (squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons) live in a tree. They host their parties and bingo events there. Until one day Grandpa hangs a swing in the tree. The swing catches on and lots of people visit (like a park). The animals weren’t sure about this change, but the people were mostly good neighbors. All the “love and laughter” kept the tree growing strong, until one spring when the tree doesn’t wake up and the grandpa doesn’t return. It looks the tree will be cut down until the animals gather the best architects and builders to turn it into a treehouse which will last forever.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

The incorrect use of capital letters, overuse of "and" instead of just using commas to group things together, and lack of Oxford comma ruined this for me. The lovely illustrations can't overcompensate for the grammatical errors. No weird grammar in the author's note... so I'm confused as to why the story text is such a mess.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This lovely story is based on a real one. A tree is a home to many happy animals. Even humans can love a tree. But what do you do when a tree is considered “unsafe” or is no longer happy and green and leafy? You build a tree house. I love that this is based on a real family, and a real tree. The story and the illustrations are lovely.
#IllinoisReads2019

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sweet story, with more than a little truth to the tale. Sometimes a place just becomes Special. It can be a hilltop, or a cave, or even a tree. And that Special place comes to mean a lot to a lot of people, and it's really awesome to see that those people can come together to preserve something they love.

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tree harbors and nurtures different animals. One day a grandfather hangs a swing and the tree becomes important to people, too. All manage to live in harmony until the tree no longer blooms. Everyone works together to make a lasting tribute to the tree. The backstory is really interesting.

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is based a true story. It's about a tree that lives in the forest and is used in lots of different ways by people and animals. It would be a good one to compare to The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

[Hayley Murray-Alvarado · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiction 2018
I fell in love with this book when I grabbed it off the library shelf. I love how it shows the story of a real tree and shows how the tree looks today. Beautiful book and message to never give up on something you love. I would read this aloud to my students.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Something beautiful is always worth saving.”

Inspired by a actual events, this is the story of a tree that became a focal point of a community and was saved from being cut down by a concerted effort of the local citizens.

Wandawega.com
Elkhorn, WI

[Marianne Tabner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, Love Love this book by Tereasa Surratt and Donna Lukas! Beautiful story that weaves in both the words and illustrations.... love, nature, friendship and a really gentle way to describe the loss of a family member.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat saccharine story of sharing and preserving what matters to you. Illustrations are top notch.

[Brownd2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

cute that it was based off a real life story...cute illustrations

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the illustrations, though the story didn't resonate as much with me.

[Stacey Socholotuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fictional retelling of a true event in the author's life and a heartwarming legacy to family.

[Adeline Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story with Wisconsin connections.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a beautiful book that will appeal to children. A large tree is home to many animals, and eventually, it calls to humans as well.

[Christy Broderick⁷ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute & sad story of true events that inspired this book. I would recommend to any animal loving reader 😊

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and charming story with a lovely message about preserving beauty and traditions.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent mentor text for using personal stories as narratives!
The illustrations are a bit whimsical for the underlying seriousness of the problem.

[Mary Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The theme is stated on the cover: Something beautiful is always worth saving. Inspired by a true story and packed with truisms.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful story. I'm looking for teaching ideas/activities for this book. Nature, the environment? Trees? Sustainability? Hmm...

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh wow! That’s amazing and really cool