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The Tree House
Pure picture-book magic. A polar bear rides a whale to a tree rising out of the water. At the top of the tree is a tree house. He’s joined by a brown bear in a boat. The bears find that the tree house is the perfect place to read. When the water recedes, they are joined by flamingos, panda bears, and other animals that come by land and air. The tree house is a place of wonder, where a brown bear catches snowflakes in a butterfly net.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
3 people are currently reading
339 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
September 3, 2012
This is a wordless picture book by a father/daughter team who have created a magical immersive experience. A polar bear swims towards a tree house that stands alone in the water. Later, a brown bear arrives in a boat. The two bears stay together in the tree house, reading books as the sea below turns pink with a flock of flamingos. As the flamingos pass, more animals arrive, including a rhino who bashes the trunk of the tree, two pandas, some owls, a hippo, and a peacock. Another bear arrives via balloon and takes the peacock away. The other animals head off, leaving the two original bears together in the tree house.
My synopsis doesn’t capture the beauty of this picture book at all, as is often the case with wordless picture books, the story is so much more about the pictures than anything that can be summarized in words. The illustrations are simple and beautiful. The tree house itself is unchanging, printed in exactly the same way from page to page. It offers a consistency while the world changes around it. The level of the water rises and falls, the sky changes colors, the seasons move. The tree house stands, staying constant through it all, even as it supports so many animals.
There is a lovely gentle mood throughout the book. A sense of playfulness and unexpectedness fills the story as well. The surprise of the suddenly pink page when the flamingos arrive is visually arresting and very effective. The colors are deep, from a blue that is almost black and perfect captures late evening to a canary yellow that sings.
This is a book of wonder, a beautiful place to spend some moments with someone in a tree house out in the water. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
My synopsis doesn’t capture the beauty of this picture book at all, as is often the case with wordless picture books, the story is so much more about the pictures than anything that can be summarized in words. The illustrations are simple and beautiful. The tree house itself is unchanging, printed in exactly the same way from page to page. It offers a consistency while the world changes around it. The level of the water rises and falls, the sky changes colors, the seasons move. The tree house stands, staying constant through it all, even as it supports so many animals.
There is a lovely gentle mood throughout the book. A sense of playfulness and unexpectedness fills the story as well. The surprise of the suddenly pink page when the flamingos arrive is visually arresting and very effective. The colors are deep, from a blue that is almost black and perfect captures late evening to a canary yellow that sings.
This is a book of wonder, a beautiful place to spend some moments with someone in a tree house out in the water. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
January 4, 2017
Um, ok. Pretty, but no drama or development, not a fable or an adventure, barely an experience. At first I thought it was going to be like *The Mitten* but no. And when the rhinoceros butted the trunk I almost got a headache from the visual effect. I opine that this is just a Trip, and would maybe work better as a Triptych on the child's bedroom wall.... ;)
Pretentiously oversize, too, which is annoying for libraries and home shelves. So, another star off for book design.
Pretentiously oversize, too, which is annoying for libraries and home shelves. So, another star off for book design.
October 14, 2010
I've been on a picture book kick lately. The kind of kick that has me finding new and improved ways of hiding exactly how much money I spend on books from my spouse. As a result of yesterday's buying spree, I have an armful of really awesome books for the kids.
But in a stack of fun picture books, The Tree House was the clear winner. I had found the book on a remainder table, and for only the second time in my long remainder-table-buying career, I found myself feeling a tad guilty for the steal I had gotten. The publisher and author deserved much more than the $4.98 I spent on this book. This was the book from the stack that everyone wanted to see, the one with which little brother bashed big brother over the head because he demanded a turn, the one mommy and daddy were peeking over shoulders to see.
The illustrations are gorgeous, and once the children stopped fighting with each other for the book, they each come up with several beautiful, unique stories to go along with the drawings by bedtime. We laughed at funny stories about flamingo parties, felt sad during stories about lonely bears in the middle of the ocean, wondered what trouble the mysterious, sneaky little pandas were up to. All in all, it was a great amount of fun. In retrospect, though, I should have picked up two copies, to avoid the pre-storytelling beat-down.
But in a stack of fun picture books, The Tree House was the clear winner. I had found the book on a remainder table, and for only the second time in my long remainder-table-buying career, I found myself feeling a tad guilty for the steal I had gotten. The publisher and author deserved much more than the $4.98 I spent on this book. This was the book from the stack that everyone wanted to see, the one with which little brother bashed big brother over the head because he demanded a turn, the one mommy and daddy were peeking over shoulders to see.
The illustrations are gorgeous, and once the children stopped fighting with each other for the book, they each come up with several beautiful, unique stories to go along with the drawings by bedtime. We laughed at funny stories about flamingo parties, felt sad during stories about lonely bears in the middle of the ocean, wondered what trouble the mysterious, sneaky little pandas were up to. All in all, it was a great amount of fun. In retrospect, though, I should have picked up two copies, to avoid the pre-storytelling beat-down.
March 23, 2016
Zeggen dat ik dit boek gelezen heb, kan ik eigenlijk niet. Prentenboeken zonder tekst zijn vaak toch bijzondere boeken. Ik merk dat ik altijd zelf probeer een verhaal te verzinnen bij zo'n boek en dat was ook nu het geval. Ik merk wel dat ik bij een boek zonder tekst nog beter naar de afbeeldingen kijk en wat heb ik daar bij dit boek van genoten. Wat is de boom met boomhut bijzonder mooi getekend en wat is het leuk om op iedere bladzijde op zoek te gaan naar wat er anders is. Mijn favoriete prent is de prent met de neushoorn. Heel even dacht ik dat ik een bril nodig had, maar het was gewoon de tekening.
March 30, 2017
3.5 stars
December 31, 2018
4/5 Ontzettend schattig! Vooral de prent dat de beer en de ijsbeer samen naar de maan kijken.
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June 29, 2023Cute
June 20, 2010
This wordless picture book from the Netherlands was the 2010 Winner of the Bologna Ragazzi Award, which honors graphic and editorial design. In what looks like crayon, watercolor, and colored pencil, father -and- daughter team Marije and Ronald Tolman portray the lovely lives of two bears on a treehouse floating in water. The initial construct of the house and the quiet mood are reminiscent of the 2009 Oscar-winning animated short La Maison en Petits Cubes. Only, instead of the waters rising, they slowly ebb down off the bleed of the page, and wonderful whimsy occurs.
With no explanation, a horde of new animal friends join the tree house party. The antics seem as ebullient as those in Tao Neyu's Wonder Bear, but not in a derivative way that the latter was derivative of Seuss' The Cat in the Hat. Throughout the story, the treehouse remains on the recto page of the full double-page spreads. While such positioning may seem stead or questionable, the perspective actually keeps this treehouse as the focal point. The gutter acts as a sort of permeable barrier that keeps the magic in the realm of the tree.
With no explanation, a horde of new animal friends join the tree house party. The antics seem as ebullient as those in Tao Neyu's Wonder Bear, but not in a derivative way that the latter was derivative of Seuss' The Cat in the Hat. Throughout the story, the treehouse remains on the recto page of the full double-page spreads. While such positioning may seem stead or questionable, the perspective actually keeps this treehouse as the focal point. The gutter acts as a sort of permeable barrier that keeps the magic in the realm of the tree.
October 16, 2011
I loved this book! This wordless picture book is wonderful, with lots of subtle details for young children to discover. Father -and- daughter team Marije and Ronald Tolman (Netherlands) teamed up to create this book, which was the 2010 Winner of the Bologna Ragazzi Award, which honors graphic and editorial design. In what looks like crayon, watercolor, and colored pencil, the story covers full double-page spreads portraying the lives of a polar bear and a brown bear on a treehouse floating in water. The beginning of the story stars on the cover with a polar bear riding a whale and then finds a tree. The brown bear joins the polar bear and they find it is a lovely place to read books. As the season changes and the water retrieves more animals come a live with them. When the water returns all the animals leave and they are left by themselves. But this is not a sad ending. For me, it was just nature in action, seasons changing, life following its normal cause, and the bears loving life. Beautiful, gentle, and with subtle environmental tones, a piece of art.
July 10, 2013
I always find it fascinating to watch children deal with books without words. Children are challenged to look carefully at the pictures and to make their own interpretation of what the story is about. With beautiful drawings, “The Tree House” depicts all kinds of animals–-panda bears, flamingos, a rhino and a hippo--gathering in a tree house and then leaving it. Open to many interpretations and that is part of the fun and the challenge for the children. Best used with children with advanced verbal skills. http://beyonddrseuss.wordpress.com/
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June 24, 2011Beautiful and fanciful, an illustrator lover's collector item.
March 5, 2025
Captivating details!!! Tree house and childhood are like...miso soup & tofu!?
February 15, 2018
This is a magical and eccentric world-less book. A polar bear find a giant treehouse. A brown bear comes right behind him and finds the treehouse too. Then more and more friends/animals consisting of flamingos, rhinos and a peacock, find the treehouse and join the two bears. Suddenly, another bear comes and all the animals follow him somewhere else. Leaving,only to two original bears.
I really loved the bold and colorful illustrations in this book. However, I did not pick up on the actual plot of this book. What was it trying to tell us? I would use this book in my classroom and ask the children what they thought the book was trying to accomplish. I personally believe that they would have fantastic answers that I wouldn't of even thought about.
I really loved the bold and colorful illustrations in this book. However, I did not pick up on the actual plot of this book. What was it trying to tell us? I would use this book in my classroom and ask the children what they thought the book was trying to accomplish. I personally believe that they would have fantastic answers that I wouldn't of even thought about.
October 7, 2017
Beautifully illustrated book, not a clear story line, but because this book is wordless. It provides readers an experience of retellling the story in many different ways. The number of creatures included in this book and the format of the book provided readers an immersive experience. The illustrator sure need more practice on the skills.
Curious what kids gonna think of this book
Curious what kids gonna think of this book
April 12, 2021
La casa del árbol es de esos libros que entre más lo lees más te gusta. Su genialidad radica en su aparente sencillez que con cada nueva aproximación permite encontrar nuevos detalles que generan nuevas charlas.
November 19, 2021
I'm a complete sucker for wordless picture books. They are such an important part of learning to love books. I always encourage my pre-readers to choose wordless picture books, it gives them a chance to tell the story and begin to recognize how illustrations assist in learning to read.
October 15, 2017
It was interesting that the cover of the book is essentially the first page of the book. I wouldn't have known that if I hadn't read the flap of the jacket cover.
August 4, 2018
A polar bear makes his home in a tree house. A bunch of other animals join him. Its a wordless story, but the beautiful drawings make it worth flipping through.
August 10, 2018
the art and simply story are wonderful.
February 6, 2025
I liked it much more than El Libro.
September 25, 2025
I see no story in this book.
February 10, 2026
Exquisite illustrations!
(It doesn’t have much of a plot line… this is more of an artsy experience.)
(It doesn’t have much of a plot line… this is more of an artsy experience.)
March 18, 2017
Distinctive illustration style.
June 28, 2011
Illustrator: Marije Tolman and Ronald Tolman
Publisher: Lemniscaat
Year: 2009
Interest level: K-2
Reading Level: anyone (wordless book)
The Tree House won the Bologna Ragazzi fiction award in 2010, a prestegious illustration award. It also won the United States Board of Books for Young People 2011 Outstanding International Book for the age group of K-2. The father-daughter team from Netherlands created a very imaginative book. It is an oversized wordless book that has a brief summary written on the inside flap. The beginning of the story stars on the cover with a bear riding a whale. Reading the story without the summary was confusing for me. However, I think it is a great way to introduce little children to the world of fantasy. One way that I think would be a great way to use this story is to introduce the concept of a wordless book for kindergartners. Read just the brief summary to the students without showing them any part of the book. Then have the children illustrate it while listening a second time to the summary. Talk about the differences in details that the children drew between themselves. Then, tell the children that two illustrators chose to do their own wordless book for this story and practice reading the pictures as a class. Children can point out details that are different and similar to the children's illustrations of the text.
Note:
I found this on the publisher's site:
The Tree House wins the prestigious Bologna Ragazzi Award
Marije Tolman & Ronald Tolman, The Tree House We already knew that father Ronald Tolman and daughter Marije Tolman made a unique picture book. The Kunsthal - a world famous museum of modern art in Rotterdam - even held an exhibition of the delightful art included in this book. But now The Tree House also won the most prestigious illustration award in the world. The BolognaRagazzi Award 2010.
The jury said:
"De Boomhut is a wise, clear, even poetic, example of how an established topos of the collective imagination may be revisited with a fresh eye to reveal a continued relevance to modern times.
Marije Tolman and Ronald Tolman return to the "house in the trees". Their house, however, is rich with subtle cultural references ranging from symbolist painting to the most refined 20th century graphic art.
The book's message is not declaimed, but is conveyed quietly. It pleads for an enlightened ecological stance in which an intense awareness that we are part of nature does not forego our need for elegance and intellectual enquiry."
MY RESPONSE TO PUBLISHER'S POSTING:
Based on that interpretation of the visual text, I think this book could be included in a junior high or high school art/art history class, as well as an environmental studies class.
Publisher: Lemniscaat
Year: 2009
Interest level: K-2
Reading Level: anyone (wordless book)
The Tree House won the Bologna Ragazzi fiction award in 2010, a prestegious illustration award. It also won the United States Board of Books for Young People 2011 Outstanding International Book for the age group of K-2. The father-daughter team from Netherlands created a very imaginative book. It is an oversized wordless book that has a brief summary written on the inside flap. The beginning of the story stars on the cover with a bear riding a whale. Reading the story without the summary was confusing for me. However, I think it is a great way to introduce little children to the world of fantasy. One way that I think would be a great way to use this story is to introduce the concept of a wordless book for kindergartners. Read just the brief summary to the students without showing them any part of the book. Then have the children illustrate it while listening a second time to the summary. Talk about the differences in details that the children drew between themselves. Then, tell the children that two illustrators chose to do their own wordless book for this story and practice reading the pictures as a class. Children can point out details that are different and similar to the children's illustrations of the text.
Note:
I found this on the publisher's site:
The Tree House wins the prestigious Bologna Ragazzi Award
Marije Tolman & Ronald Tolman, The Tree House We already knew that father Ronald Tolman and daughter Marije Tolman made a unique picture book. The Kunsthal - a world famous museum of modern art in Rotterdam - even held an exhibition of the delightful art included in this book. But now The Tree House also won the most prestigious illustration award in the world. The BolognaRagazzi Award 2010.
The jury said:
"De Boomhut is a wise, clear, even poetic, example of how an established topos of the collective imagination may be revisited with a fresh eye to reveal a continued relevance to modern times.
Marije Tolman and Ronald Tolman return to the "house in the trees". Their house, however, is rich with subtle cultural references ranging from symbolist painting to the most refined 20th century graphic art.
The book's message is not declaimed, but is conveyed quietly. It pleads for an enlightened ecological stance in which an intense awareness that we are part of nature does not forego our need for elegance and intellectual enquiry."
MY RESPONSE TO PUBLISHER'S POSTING:
Based on that interpretation of the visual text, I think this book could be included in a junior high or high school art/art history class, as well as an environmental studies class.
February 27, 2015
WORDLESS
Tolman, Marije; Tolman, Ronald. The Tree House. Pennsylvania: Lemniscaat. 2010.
Target Audience: Toddlers to Grade One
This wordless book is very entertaining and the story can be interpreted in many different ways. It would be a great book to read to young children again and again and change the story a little bit or drastically. The pictures have a European flair because the author and illustrator are Dutch. I think kids would love that the characters are all animals and the tree house is a place of friendship. Everyone is welcome to hang out in the tree house; from polar bears to flamingos.
The tree house is always on the right-hand side of this oversized book and it changes color and sometimes seasons. The branches and leaves look really wiggly; kind of like silly string. This treehouse is the focal point of the book so it is interesting to see how the tree changes and which animals may or may not be in the tree with each turning page. The left-hand side of the book changes too; sometimes there is water and sometimes there are clouds. It is on this side of the book that the animals make their way to the tree house. Overall the book is quite colorful, some pages are vibrant and some are muted. There is a lot to discover with each turning page.
Tolman, Marije; Tolman, Ronald. The Tree House. Pennsylvania: Lemniscaat. 2010.
Target Audience: Toddlers to Grade One
This wordless book is very entertaining and the story can be interpreted in many different ways. It would be a great book to read to young children again and again and change the story a little bit or drastically. The pictures have a European flair because the author and illustrator are Dutch. I think kids would love that the characters are all animals and the tree house is a place of friendship. Everyone is welcome to hang out in the tree house; from polar bears to flamingos.
The tree house is always on the right-hand side of this oversized book and it changes color and sometimes seasons. The branches and leaves look really wiggly; kind of like silly string. This treehouse is the focal point of the book so it is interesting to see how the tree changes and which animals may or may not be in the tree with each turning page. The left-hand side of the book changes too; sometimes there is water and sometimes there are clouds. It is on this side of the book that the animals make their way to the tree house. Overall the book is quite colorful, some pages are vibrant and some are muted. There is a lot to discover with each turning page.
October 8, 2010
The Tree House is a marvelous addition to this list. Like the books listed above, it features art executed with a confident, sure hand. The Tolmans aren't afraid of empty space or repeated scenes. A tree house, in a big tree sticking up out of the ocean, is visited by a polar bear and a brown bear. They explore the tree house, eat lunch, read books, watch clouds, make friends with other animals, and dream the afternoon away. It is delightful. Leisurely. Imaginative. It doesn't spell things out for the reader.
Full review on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/201...
Full review on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/201...
May 7, 2016
Gekocht bij een kleine boekenwinkel voor de helft van de prijs, tja dat kan ik niet laten liggen dan, en ik had al gehoord dat het boek goed was en al stukjes gelezen.
Dit boek heeft geen woorden, geen tekst, maar de platen die erin staan vertellen meer dan genoeg verhaal. Het gaat over 1 beer die op een soort boomhut stuit (die wat ik kan zien in het water staat), al snel volgen er verschillende andere dieren op deze beer en komen ze allen leven in de boomhut.
De platen zijn echt wonderschoon, prachtig in kleur en heel erg mooi getekend, je hebt echt het gevoel of je naar binnen wordt gezogen, in een mooie kleurrijke wereld.
Echt een aanrader voor iedereen, groot of klein.
Dit boek heeft geen woorden, geen tekst, maar de platen die erin staan vertellen meer dan genoeg verhaal. Het gaat over 1 beer die op een soort boomhut stuit (die wat ik kan zien in het water staat), al snel volgen er verschillende andere dieren op deze beer en komen ze allen leven in de boomhut.
De platen zijn echt wonderschoon, prachtig in kleur en heel erg mooi getekend, je hebt echt het gevoel of je naar binnen wordt gezogen, in een mooie kleurrijke wereld.
Echt een aanrader voor iedereen, groot of klein.
March 6, 2016
Naar dit boek moest ik even zoeken, aangezien het niet meer in onze bibliotheek is.
Ik vind de voorkant van het boek prachtig. Toen ik het boek open deed, merkte ik, dat het boek dus zonder tekst is. Het is een vrij groot boek, dus de platen zijn ook erg royaal. Er is genoeg te zien op de platen.
Een ijsbeer ontdekt een boomhut en wordt al snel vrienden met een bruine beer. Daarna wordt het steeds drukker en drukker in de hut, omdat er veel dieren komen 'aanwaaien'. Uiteindelijk vertrekt ook iedereen en keert de rust weer terug. Een mooi kijkboek.
(Boek 16 Boekenbingo 2016)
Ik vind de voorkant van het boek prachtig. Toen ik het boek open deed, merkte ik, dat het boek dus zonder tekst is. Het is een vrij groot boek, dus de platen zijn ook erg royaal. Er is genoeg te zien op de platen.
Een ijsbeer ontdekt een boomhut en wordt al snel vrienden met een bruine beer. Daarna wordt het steeds drukker en drukker in de hut, omdat er veel dieren komen 'aanwaaien'. Uiteindelijk vertrekt ook iedereen en keert de rust weer terug. Een mooi kijkboek.
(Boek 16 Boekenbingo 2016)
July 8, 2013
What a great wordless picture book!
An over-sized picture book, published in the Netherlands & winner of the Bologna Ragazzi fiction award in 2010 (an award given at the Bologna Book Fair for superb graphic & editorial design), I grabbed this during our weekly trip to my library for summer reading.
Magical, whimsical, and pure fun!
Have your kid tell the story according to the pictures, and enjoy the ride!
An over-sized picture book, published in the Netherlands & winner of the Bologna Ragazzi fiction award in 2010 (an award given at the Bologna Book Fair for superb graphic & editorial design), I grabbed this during our weekly trip to my library for summer reading.
Magical, whimsical, and pure fun!
Have your kid tell the story according to the pictures, and enjoy the ride!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews