The Last Tree

by Ingrid Chabbert

A small boy lived in a city with no grass or trees. “Instead,” he says, “we had roads, walls and lots of other ugly things.” One day, the boy and his friend were amazed to discover a tiny sapling growing behind a low wall. They had never seen a tree and they imagined how majestic it would be someday. When they found out a condominium was to be built where their tree lived, the boys knew they had to dig it up and replant it. They had to save the last tree.

A poignant story about hope and the importance of nature.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Environment, Fiction, France, Dystopia

41 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 29, 2015

About the author

Ingrid Chabbert est née en 1978 en Aveyron et vit aujourd'hui à Carcassonne.
Elle écrit depuis sa plus tendre enfance, partout et sur n'importe quoi.
Elle n'a pas fait d'études de lettres mais jouer avec les mots, parler de la vie aux enfants, c'est sa passion.
Son tout premier album jeunesse est paru en 2010.
Depuis, c'est prés d'une trentaine de titres qui ont vu le jour.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely, haunting sort of allegorical environmental picture book about a boy and his friend growing up in a city with almost no green space remaining. They find 13 blades of grass in a lot nearby. And then they find a small sapling, but the news is that yet another condo will be erected in that space. What can the boys do to save the tree? About friendship, green space, trees, and the necessity of beauty (and oxygen) in contemporary life (even as ignorant, rapacious capitalists raze many remaining forests.

[Noura · Rating 5 out of 5]

“When I got home, I lost myself in my books. To see some green, some leaves… some happiness.”
And that is when I knew this book was special. One that might have more of an impact on the adults reading it rather then the kids that are being read to.
You see, this book is set in some time (possibly a distant/near future) when there are no trees left. No grass. No greenery of any sort and that takes its toll on our main character. He wanted the childhood his father had where it was just rolling around on the grass with his best friend. Where it was Cartwheels on Monday, leapfrog on Wednesday and kite-flying on Sunday.
He wasn’t pleased with all the constructions and sky scrappers. He wanted more than the dreary and bleak reality of his surroundings. Which is why when he found a beacon of hope in a bit of greenery he tried his best to preserve it.
We could all learn something from that before our world loses its color.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third picture book I've read by the Ingrid Chabbert/ Raúl Nieto Guridi duo. This one is about a young, really bored boy who lives in a city surrounded by tall buildings. In his exploration he finds a patch of grass, but not enough to roll around in. Then one day his buddy has a wondrous thing to show him. This rather bleak story might make a good starting point for conversations about environmental issues. I really liked the monochromatic illustrations of the background juxtaposed against bright splashes of color.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 5 out of 5]

RATING: 5 STARS
2017; Kids Can Press/Hachette Book Group
(Review Not on Blog)

A perfect book to review today (04/22) on Earth Day. A father tells his young son about the days he used to run in the grass among the trees. The boy wishes he could live in that world instead of the concrete world he does reside in. One day he and his friend find a little sapling and are excited until they find out that another condo will be built right on it. So they decide to find the last tree a safe place to grow. In the spirit of Lorax I just fell for this story. It is sweet and educational. I found the illustrations great and fit the story.

***I received an eARC from EDELWEISS***

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Last Tree is a beautifully illustrated book about a lone tree in the midst of an urban jungle. I enjoyed the structure and simple story as much as I did the illustrations. I teach in an urban area and I think this would make for an excellent addition to any k-3 classroom. This would be great for teaching respect for the environment and studying nature in urban areas. Absolutely lovely!

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this, because I love dystopian stories. But I'm curious what a preschooler would think of it. Chabbert's words create a great atmosphere, though. the book really pulls you in.

[Syd · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 stars.

[clara✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

« J'ai regardé les étoiles et leur ai demandé de veiller sur lui. C'était le dernier arbre. »

dans ce court album, Ingrid Chabbert et Guridi dépeignent un monde où les immeubles trop hauts et le goudron trop gris ont envahis le monde jusqu'à ce que plus aucun brin d'herbe, ni arbre ne puissent pousser.

les dessins rendent compte avec brio du sentiment d'oppression de ces villes grises, du manque cruel de verdure dans lequel notre protagoniste évolue sur son vélo.

l'histoire, courte mais percutante, transmet un message fort sur l'importance de l'écologie pour les futures générations.

une belle découverte !

🌳

[Laine · Rating 3 out of 5]

this had potential to be great, but the ending was just kind of lacking. i wanted more out of the story!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good intro to enviromentalism

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Sammm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A digitized ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

OMG I can't believe this!!! It actually got me teary in the end! I have to admit, initially while glimpsing the thumbnail of the book cover, I honestly thought it were two little birdies on it lmao. It was until I started actually reading that I realized the figures are boys. The art style is easy to warm up to though!

The story may or may not be literally, or figuratively, speaking about THE last tree. >;] Yup, I know figuratively and literally are the opposite, so go read it yourself and see how you'd like to interpret it! It was surprisingly a depressing book at the beginning... I mean, I know we are getting more and more advanced, but what the boy described, where there's not enough grass for him and his friends to roll around on, makes the inside of me die a little. I shudder to think that really is what are future is becoming.

Their actions upon finding the little tree got to me. It was phrased so very simple, but I can practically hear the awe in the exclamation. Read this book, cherish trees, folks!

Updates:
I also won a Goodreads giveaway so I now own a physical copy of this book. It truly is a beautiful piece of work! <3

[Puddlyduck · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Tree is written in simple prose that reflects the young protagonists experience. It's straightforward and so neatly reflects the focuses desperation he feels later in the book. The story is complemented it beautifully by the block monochromatic images of the concrete world of The Last Tree and this is contrasted to the swathes of simple, perhaps pure greenery.
This book acts as a great springboard to thought provoking discussions about environmental awareness for all ages.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jennifer Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a bleak and dreary city a boy and his best friend long to see grass and trees. Once there were 17 blades of grass... now only 13 remain. When they discover a tiny sprout of a tree, and believing it may very well be the last tree in existence, they will do everything they can to protect it.
•
This is a bit of a sad story with a hopeful ending. The boy's actions save the tree and bring beauty to the world. One little action, done with love, can enrich the world. A very moving and discussion-worthy story.

[jess ~has abandoned GR~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a world where there are no more trees or grass, two little boys discover a little sapling. When they find out that some land developers are doing to bulldoze it to make a new building, they dig it up and replant it somewhere else. They revisit it a few years later, and the sapling has grown into a tree. The end.

It is beautifully illustrated, but a little darker than I prefer for the storytime crowd.

I received this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[H Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about an imagined future, or a imagined world that has captured/exaggerated the dark side of human civilization.

The book is well written. In that world there is little green left, and the little boy discovered a sapling, decide to protect it from constructions, and eventually it grew into a big tree. Although some reviews were complaining that the story is too dark, I love it. It found an approach to describe a possible issue of human civilization using a poetic way. Everything happened in this book sounds exactly like the kind of fantasy a boy age ~8-10 may have. The language the book used will immediately capture kids.
The illustrations are simple, naive, and effective.

Love the alarming effect this book have.

[Oxalis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute but serious picture book that used stark colors to show how a world without trees would look. As expected, it's not the most uplifting of books, but like The Lorax, it teaches readers the important lesson of environmental stewardship.

My only issue was with the end, where the tree is planted and then on the next page, the characters are already returning to a grown tree, and the readers are without any story in-between. I'm a little surprised that there is any space where the world is still green, even that far out of the city. I also wondered if the characters would have to defend and protect the tree as it aged. Nonetheless, this book makes it easy to imagine the inside of a city, specifically, devoid of flora.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Tree is about a young boy who lives in a grey city which only has high-rise buildings. He eventually finds the last tree and his story really begins.

I read this story to my Year 2 class who absolutely loved it. They picked up themes of how to look after nature, kindness, how to be a secret hero and what the consequences of the human world. A book which can allow six and seven year olds to think this way is always a winner!

Thank you to netgalley and Kids Can Press for allowing me to read this prior to release!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Tree is a very sweet story about protecting nature and the environment, and about helping plants to grow where they might struggle to get a foothold. Although the story was sweet, it didn't wow me, and I found myself wondering if I had missed something in the translation. Regardless, it was still a nice book. The illustrations were the best part, and really brought the beauty of the plant life and bleakness where it lacked all alive.

I recommend this to anyone looking for a picture book to help introduce children to nature conservation.

[Katie Zebrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. The illustrations show a sparse, but beautiful journey. This book is perfect for the primary classrooms, but could also be used in the intermediate classroom to tie in to conservation efforts and the issues that accompany the rapidly shrinking forests and preserves that come with the urbanization of many formerly suburban areas. I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley so that I could write an honest review.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chabbert has a clear point to make in this story but there are some gaping holes that don't work as well as I hoped. The stark contrast in the illustrations between the gray city scene and the little bit of green left make a powerful statement. When the two children rescue the "last" tree, it offers a discussion point for families and classes. However, the jump at the end to the tree being full grown and flourishing is a bit of a stretch. A definite Soylent Green style message.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw something about a new book called The Last Tree: A Seed of Hope by Luke Adam Hawker. It’s not available at my library. That sparked something in me to check out all the other Last Tree books at the library 😂

Concrete cities and saving a tree. I like that it shows the end result, but question why it seems the boys never spent time with the tree while growing up. The illustrations are appropriate for the story being told.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I can't imagine many requests to "read it again", this is a wonderful take on exploring concepts, consequences, and potential for our planet. it allows young readers to face the reality of climate change and extinction through an extended analogy with enough hope to pull back from the darkest cliff.

[Ivory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a wonderful theme of never give up hope there is always something you can do. My favorite part of this book was how excited the child was to learn more about trees. I think this would be a perfect book to read on Earth Day!
First published in France in 2015, Then translated in English in 2017.

[Barbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a concrete city a young boy finds a small tree. When he discovers a 247 floor condo is about to be erected right beside it he knows it will never survive. He digs it up and finds the perfect spot for it and returns years later to find it huge and beautiful.

[Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm a country girl and not fond of cities but respect that many people love living in the city. However, this book makes me feel that cities are 'bad'. If cities are so bad, why do so many people live there?
I wonder where they went to plant the tree??

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A patron and her kids told me I needed to read this because I "oooo"d at the cover. It was pretty flat for me though. It hints at a very Lorax-style point about saving nature but it really only hints, so it didn't really try to send home a major message.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bleak and depressing.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly depressing story that will definitely appeal to kids who are concerned about environmental issues.

[Jess Klug · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a beautiful book but so terribly sad and dark!