WILLOW

A tree happily prevails. Narrated in gentle, lilting verse, this sweet Australian import tells the story of a strong, "proud and tall" green willow whose twisted trunk is deeply rooted within the soil. The tree is portrayed as a graceful, wide-eyed, green-faced creation adorned in long, leafy, green fronds. Following a fearsome storm, she springs magnificently to life again. In the aftermath of the terrifying experience, the willow is stronger and more confident than ever, conveying a hopeful message about nature triumphantly reclaiming and renewing itself--appropriate, since the willow is home to numerous creatures such as birds and butterflies. This optimistic takeaway will also leave readers eager to look on the positive side after enduring their own setbacks. A page that requires a 90-degree turn depicts the willow standing proud and erect after the event. "And while she'll never be the same, she steels her roots once more. She's stronger than before"--a nod, perhaps, to climate change. The final scene depicts a lovely, smiling willow looking toward a rainbow. The handsome illustrations are mostly rendered in a limited palette of greens, browns, pale blues, and grays, but the robust greens happily triumph in the end, for nature has won out. An ultimately hopeful glimpse at the natural world.(Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.