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Little Tree
This beautifully crafted pop-up book shows the growth, seasons, and life-cycle of a tree. The story expands ever so subtly, with tightly hewn text and soft shadows on the pages that hint at the tree's changing surroundings as it grows.
Rendered in pop-up form, the tree begins as a small seedling, barely noticeable amid the snow, and grows a little with each turn of the page. Soon it is a tall specimen in full leaf, changing color with the seasons. Years go by, and then it is gone. Somewhere a new seedling begins to grow. When something we expect always to be there disappears, we realize the significance of its presence. But even as it expresses this sense of loss, the book ends on a note that resonates with hope.
The minimalist design by an internationally known artist draws readers in with its quiet power. Author Katsumi Komagata appeals to the senses in poetically spare language and with careful attention to every detail: the changing shape of the growing tree, its color, the shading of the background, even the weight and texture of the paper—such slight nuances shape our perceptions. The book was published simultaneously in Japan and France, and the text is provided in Japanese, French, and English.
Rendered in pop-up form, the tree begins as a small seedling, barely noticeable amid the snow, and grows a little with each turn of the page. Soon it is a tall specimen in full leaf, changing color with the seasons. Years go by, and then it is gone. Somewhere a new seedling begins to grow. When something we expect always to be there disappears, we realize the significance of its presence. But even as it expresses this sense of loss, the book ends on a note that resonates with hope.
The minimalist design by an internationally known artist draws readers in with its quiet power. Author Katsumi Komagata appeals to the senses in poetically spare language and with careful attention to every detail: the changing shape of the growing tree, its color, the shading of the background, even the weight and texture of the paper—such slight nuances shape our perceptions. The book was published simultaneously in Japan and France, and the text is provided in Japanese, French, and English.
28 pages
First published January 1, 2008
333 people want to read
About the author
Katsumi Komagata
43 books24 followersKatsumi Komagata was born in Shizuoka Prefecture. Following a stint at Nippon Design Center, Inc., he moved to the United States in 1977, where he worked as a graphic designer developing corporate identity packages for such companies as CBS and the Schecter Group. He returned to Japan in 1983 and three years later founded One Stroke, which began as a graphic design studio and later expanded into publishing. The birth of a daughter prompted him to take up picture-book authoring, beginning with the ten-volume Little Eyes series (1990–92), which garnered attention for its innovative ideas. He has also created picture books for children with disabilities, including tactile and sign-language books. He has held shows and workshops around the world, and won numerous honors, including an ADC Silver Cube (New York), the Prize for Creativity (Paris), a New Art Prize as well as a Ragazzi Mention at the Bologna Children's Book Fair, an International Children's Book Award (Switzerland), and two Good Design Awards (Japan).
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 30, 2017
Whenever I see Japanese art, I am touched by the gorgeous simplicity, the quiet and subtle beauty. This book is exactly like that.
The story is that of the cycle of life. It is about a seedling slowly growing into a tree over the years.
It's a pop-up book with each page showing a different stage of the tree (and its view on the world through the perspective of the shadows) until ... the tree is gone. This emphasizes the expectation of the reader to turn the page and find the tree yet again, ultimately realizing the importance of the tree through its absence. However, it's not a story of loss but rather of death being part of life and with hope at the end.
To think that this great artist has only started creating his wonderful books when his first child was born (he apparently wanted to teach his kid certain life lessons in this way). I'm glad he's sharing these important lessons in such a stunning visual form with the world, though I have to sadly admit that I wasn't able to get a copy of this book so I read it through online images / a video.
The story is that of the cycle of life. It is about a seedling slowly growing into a tree over the years.
It's a pop-up book with each page showing a different stage of the tree (and its view on the world through the perspective of the shadows) until ... the tree is gone. This emphasizes the expectation of the reader to turn the page and find the tree yet again, ultimately realizing the importance of the tree through its absence. However, it's not a story of loss but rather of death being part of life and with hope at the end.
To think that this great artist has only started creating his wonderful books when his first child was born (he apparently wanted to teach his kid certain life lessons in this way). I'm glad he's sharing these important lessons in such a stunning visual form with the world, though I have to sadly admit that I wasn't able to get a copy of this book so I read it through online images / a video.
June 29, 2023
Lieu unique, Nantes. Beau livre objet.
November 5, 2009
A very nice art pop-ups book for children from 3 to 6 years old... and grown-ups as well! One of the nicest children book I've even seen.
November 13, 2015
A neat pop-up book with very simple illustrations and pop-ups featuring the story of a tree. The text is in Japanese with French and English translations alongside. Quite enjoyable.
May 15, 2017
"The seed was carried somewhere unknown. Surely it will exist for someone even though no one notices such a small presence at the beginning."
December 25, 2018
Outstanding tale told in 3 languages with beautiful 3D visuals that fit together with the narrative like tongue-in-groove work found in Amish furniture - a rare book that is treasure for all ages.
June 4, 2019
2015/8/25
July 18, 2023
I watched it in French here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKEHr...
It was gorgeous.
It was gorgeous.
February 18, 2017
This art piece is for all ages, not only the children. A life-cycle illustration in a symplistic yet sophisticated way.
November 13, 2016
Exquisite bookmaking.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews