Gentle Willow: A Story for Children About Dying

Book Description

The same characters from the book "Little Tree", Amanda the Squirrel and Little Tree, reappear in a story for children who are facing death: their own, or that of a loved one. Amanda calls upon the Tree Wizards of the Forest to help Gentle Willow, who is suffering from a mysterious ailment, but the Tree Wizards are unable to help. Amanda struggles with loss, confusion, anger, and finally, hope, as she helps Gentle Willow understand and accept her death. This sensitively written story is brought to life by Chesworth's hauntingly beautiful watercolors.

Customer Reviews:

Great Great Book.......2007-07-25

I love this book. I bought this book for my 3 yr old to help explain death to him after my husband passed away. It was perfect because it explained about being sick and not being able to be fixed sometimes. This was similar to what we were going through with my husband who had cancer. Our son always knew his father has being sick and going to the doctor...so this helped to explain.

Sweet story.......2007-07-10

My daughter enjoyed the story greatly. i wouldn't say it completely gave her an understanding of death but she knows that when you die you don't come back from where ever you went. this help a lot considering my mother just passed 3 months ago and my daughter is still talking about it.

Very Sweet and Kind.......2007-03-08

This was a very sweet story. It would be best used on a child who is able to draw analogies. I am a school counselor who often deals with children in the public school setting who are not able to relate such stories to their lives. However, it is a very good book.

This book is wonderful!.......2007-02-21

My father has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and I got this book for my 9 year old daughter. It is her favorite, and I love it too. It is very gentle and calm and sweet. A story about dying and how life goes on. I love it!

Helping children deal with the pain of a terminal illness.......2002-03-04

When I first read "Gentle Willow: A Story for Children About Dying," I thought it was about preparing a child for the death of a terminally ill loved one. After all, the story tells about Amanda, a squirrel, and her friends Little Tree and Gentle Willow. One day Amanda notices that Gentle Willow looks and feels differently. Amanda becomes concerned about her friend and calls in Fixumup and Imageen the tree wizards, who check Gentle Willow and have to admit that while they can make her feel more comfortable and help her feel stronger, they cannot make her all better. The tree wizards comfort Amanda about the impending loss of her friend by explaining about the special gifts called memories.

When I finished reading this book I turned to the introduction and learned "Gentle Willow" was written for children who may not survive their illness as well as for the children who know them. I have to admit, I thought this sensitive book would also help children prepare for the death of a grandparent, or someone of any age. The basic metaphor of the caterpillars turning into butterflies applies any loved one. Dr. Mills developed this book out of an earlier effort, "Little Tree: A Story for Children with Serious Medical Problems," which reflects her specialty in storytelling as a healing process of children and adults. Obviously, this book will touch adults as well as the children for whom it was intended. The watercolor illustrations by Michael Chesworth captures the shifting tones of this tale, especially through the subtle changes on the face of Amanda, as sadness is replaced by hope through the healing power of love.

Book Description

Jessica, age eleven, refuses to believe the reality of her father's death when he is killed in a hit-and-run accident.

Customer Reviews:

A child's grieving.......2005-10-13

Before you can grieve, you need to accept. Eleven-year-old Jessica isn't good at that. She hasn't accepted moving away from the family homestead,and is determined not to like her new bright modern home an hour's drive away from her friends.

When her father is killed by a hit-and-run driver, she refuses to believe he's gone. She closes herself off from the busy-ness of grief, the details of the funeral where someone who didn't even know her father speaks about his life. She plays with her friends without letting them talk about her dad, and tells her young brother Tycho that Dad isn't really gone. He doesn't really believe her, but he adores his big sister and wants the same thing she wants: for Dad to come walking in the door.

Jessica decides to take Tycho and hike to her old house, where Daddy's Climbing Tree, an enormous beech stands. After many adventures, she and Tycho reach the tree. Carved into its trunk are the initials of those who have climbed it. Jessica goes higher than she's ever gone, pushing herself to the limit, not caring that she might not have the strength to climb down, because maybe she doesn't want to climb down. If she does, she'll have to believe Dad is truly gone.

I give this book five stars (and five handkerchiefs) for showing in an unsentimental way what it is to have your world pulled out from under you.

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The Wishing Tree
Roseanne Thong
Manufacturer: Shen's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1885008260

Book Description

Ming and his grandmother visit a wishing tree every Lunar New Year. As Ming grows from a little boy to a young man, the tree's presence remains an important figure in his life. When he is forced to overcome a tragedy, he develops a new relationship with t

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The Gift of the Tree
A Poetically Told Tale of the Cycle of Nature
The Great Cycle of Life

The Gift of the Tree
Alvin Tresselt
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Biology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0688106846

Book Description

Tresselt's classic story of The Dead Tree is given new life in this gloriously reillustrated volume. The role of an oak tree in the cycle of nature is revealed as an ancient tree, even as it dies and returns to the earth, provides nourishment for new life all around it. "Impressionistic illustrations beautifully reflect an evocative text." -- Kirkus Reviews.

Customer Reviews:

The Gift of the Tree.......2007-02-20

This book supplies the introductory information to a complete unit in life science. It demonstrates how a tree is used in nature.

A Poetically Told Tale of the Cycle of Nature.......2002-09-09

I couldn't believe this book hadn't been reviewed more than once, so I had to write in. We just got this from the library, and believe me, we'll be purchasing our own copy very soon, as well as checking out other books by this author. There are only one or two short paragraphs per page, so there's not too much text for my three-year-old, but it's written so poetically that we can talk about the meanings of new words. I can easily see older children enjoying this book as well. Or I can just ad-lib the story by pointing to the beautiful illustrations that show how the various forest flora and fauna benefit from the dead wood and help reduce it to rich forest loam. It's a great story that shows the cycle of nature, the seasons, forest ecology, decomposition -- all in a poetic and beautifully illustrated book that a three year old can easily grasp, and which I know will be a favorite of my daughter's for years to come.

The Great Cycle of Life.......2000-07-06

This lovely picture book is a wonderful tool for teachers and environmental educators, such as myself, to use to help students see the ecological processes going on all around them. The story follows the life and death of a tree, and shows how the tree contributes to the ecosystem even long after death, as a home for animals -- different animals as it passes through different stages of decay -- and enrichment for the soil. I read this story to my outdoor school students (5th-6th grade), even though it is meant for younger children, then send them out to explore a rotting log. It is an eye-opening experience for many of them! This is a very sweet, simple story illustrating the cycle of life and death in an ecosystem. Enjoy!

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Strange Birds (Melanie Kroupa Books)
Judith Heide Gilliland
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0374372756
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Book Description

On Monday, eleven-year-old Anna is a perfectly happy child.
In a few days, her parents will return from their sailing trip and
give her a horse of her own! The terrible news arrives on
Tuesday, sweeping over Anna like a dense fog: her parents are
lost at sea. Things get worse. Cold-hearted Aunt Formaldy
becomes Anna’s guardian and exiles her to a tiny sewing room.
Anna is numb with grief; her only place of respite is a
mysterious tree right outside her window. But when the tree
becomes home to a herd of miniature winged horses whose
existence becomes threatened, because of traitors and villains,
Anna must act. Discovering that the tree’s “nutberries” can
make her as tiny as the horses themselves, she risks becoming
miniature and leads her beloved horses on an amazing journey
that will change her life forever.

With its courageous young heroine and distinctive storytelling
voice, this empowering, contemporary fantasy will captivate
and inspire young readers.

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Poetic Story of Discovery
Very highly recommended for all young readers

Waterfall's Gift, The pb
Joanne Ryder
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1578051134

Book Description

The insistent voice of the waterfall rings through the old north woods, beckoning a listening child back to the secret place she once shared with her grandfather. Its call mingles with the lively sounds of the forest - the birds and rustling leaves - in a reassuring blend of past and present, then and now. < BR> In this lyrical tale, the young narrator visits the cabin that her grandfather built and rediscovers the familiar woodland haunts they used to explore together. Now that Grandpa's gone, she wanders alone, yet feels a comforting sense of oneness with the forest. There are berries to taste and smooth stones to skip across the water. And best of all, there's a surprise waiting for her in Grandpa's special pool at the foot of the waterfall. < BR>

Customer Reviews:

Poetic Story of Discovery.......2005-01-24

Far above me, there are cliffs
of dark wet rocks that almost touch the sky.
From these cliffs the water leaps
downward, tumbling and foaming,
to melt into the wide green pool below.

Richard Jesse Watson's illustrations are the highlight of this poetic journey into nature. Page after page of stunning artwork mingles with a story of a girl in search of her past. She thinks about her grandfather building a small cabin in the woods and family trips when the days get long and hot. There are pictures of her family journeying northwards to seek out treasures. She watches hawks circling in the sky and finally they arrive at the cabin and push open the windows.

Soon, the adventurous girl finds her way into a forest filled with animals hiding at the edge of the pages and finally runs to the stream where she dangles her toes in the water.

After eating "pawfuls" of berries, she wanders to the magnificent waterfall and then climbs to warm rocks sprinkled with sunlight. She meets an otter and then starts to walk home as the sun hides in the trees. When she returns to the cabin she looks up at the clouds and imagines they look like a dragon.

I love the art in this book and this book will definitely inspire trips into nature. The Waterfall's Gift is filled with nostalgia, wonder and an appreciation for nature.

~TheRebeccaReview.com

Very highly recommended for all young readers.......2001-07-06

In The Waterfall's Gift, when a young girl visits to the cabin that her grandfather built, she re-discovers the familiar woodland haunts she and her Grandpa was visited together. But Grandpa is gone now and as she wanders through the forest she feels a comforting sense of oneness. Joanne Ryder's superbly engaging story of loss and renewal amidst a natural setting is richly enhanced with the museum quality paintings of Richard Jesse Watson. The Waterfall's Gift is very highly recommended for all young readers, but most especially for those children struggling to deal with personal and family loss in the lives. Every school and community library in the country should have The Waterfall's Gift available in their collections of picturebooks for young readers.

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A heartbreaking and enlightening history.
LITTLE'S ROOM FOR ERROR
Vital Information
Startling revelation of how ALL forests in America are dying

Dying of the Trees
Charles E. Little
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0670841358

Customer Reviews:

A heartbreaking and enlightening history........2002-08-04

Little painted vived portraits of the death of America's most precious and valuable forests. This book will bring you to tears as you learn about the plight of the woodlands that we brought on them ourselves. This story is not sugar-coated in the least.

LITTLE'S ROOM FOR ERROR.......2001-03-23

hEY, THIS IS A GOOD, NUTRITIOUS READ SPANNING THE MALADIES OF THE AMERICAN FORESTS, DON'T GET ME WRONG, BUT THE UNBALANCED, CATHARTIC ANECDOTES FROM SIMILAR THINKING CRONIES WEARS ON THE READER AS DOES LITTLE'S DOOMMSDAY DIRGE AND PARANOID ASSESSMENTS OF GOVERNMENT SCIENTISTS AS FEAR-WROUGHT STOOGES OF SOME AMERICAN KGB. hE COMES JUST SHORT OF OLIVER STONE IN SPINNING ACID RAIN, FOREST FIRE SUPPRESSION,TEARY EYED STORIES OF , THE DOOMED HEMLOCKS, THE DOOMED MAPLES,CRITICAL MASS DOOING THE REST OF HIS TREE FRIENDS--AND, OH YES, PEOPLE TOO. HIS ONLY CONCESSION TO HALF-FULL GLASS IS IN THE PENULTIMATE CHAPTER ON THE TREE SAVERS AND THEIR EFFORTS (WHICH HE DISSASSEMBLES AS FAULTED, OF COURSE) TO RESSURECT THE FOREST .lITTLE FINISHES ON FAMILIAR GROUND, DONNING RACHEL CARSON'S MOURNING ROBES AND DRIVING OFF INTO THE SUNSET IN HIS CO2 BURNING AUTO JUST LIKE THE REST OF US HEATHENS.

Vital Information.......2000-06-17

This book has vital information that we need to take into considerstion as we look at today's environmental situation. He is rather pessimistic, understandibly so, and sad about the state of the forests in America let alone the rest of the world. Things look grim and he gives a very good case for seeing it that way. It is strange and kind of eerie that Little gives almost no solution to this problem and that any solution is almost hopeless. Everyone likes to think that they have all the answers a lot of times. Like Rachel Carson having all these nice solutions to the problem of pesticides at the end of her book. Some of them were definately helpful but despite her warnings there is over twice the pesticide use as there was in 1962. I guess Little is telling us to get real. There is no simple answer to these problems and any complex answer is almost never put into action. The corporate world isn't about to do anything for the environment unless it is economically profitable and what's the chance of that happening? Unless we come up with energy which doesn't pollute a lot faster than what people are forcasting soon, we are in trouble. That is basically what he is saying. I think he got a little too upset about the government's denial and corporate denial about the issues. It doesn't seem to help much by getting ourselves all upset by others problems and obstacles in our fight to save the trees. In this regard I thought he should have remained a bit more objective and not let them get to him the way he did.

Startling revelation of how ALL forests in America are dying.......1998-11-06

Everyone has heard about "Waldsterben" (dying forest syndrome) in Germany and we all assume that the forests are relatively healthy here. Charles Little shows that this is not the case at all! From coast to coast and border to border, from western forests to New England forests, the forests everywhere are dying due to weakened immune systems (!) and the resulting susceptibility to disease, pollution, bacteria, insects. It's a sad and frightening story.

Everyone should know about this book and the state of the forests. Some of the most interesting points that are raised: almost every acre of old growth that once existed in this country has been cut. The total surviving old-growth would fit in a square 49 miles on each side! It wasn't just in the West that there were big trees: the forests of Michigan were made up of huge trees. Those forests are gone and therein lies the biggest problem: in cutting the original forests so thoroughly we destroyed a balanced eco-system: the state of the trees today is most likely the result of the relentless destructions of one and two hundred years ago. This means there are no easy answers since we can't easily bring back the big trees. The same is true of the suppression of forest fires and the ensuing build-up in undergrowth that results in catastrophic fires: there is just too much undergrowth to even think of manual removal of it as an option.

Book Description

The day I was seven, my grandfather gave me and olive tree...At first, Sophia thinks the tree is an odd gift, but when Grandfather dies and her mother travel to Greece to see the tree, she discovers that what he discovers that what he has given her is far greater than she'd ever imagined.

A testimony to the wondrous ties of family and heritage, this glorious picture book brings together the beautiful writing of acclaimed author Eve Bunting and the exuberant paintings of artist Karen Barbour.

Customer Reviews:

This book brought me to tears.......2002-06-16

I am originaly from Greece and I loved this book. There is no better way to demonstrate the love of family and heritage than from the eyes of a child. The olive tree is one of the most powerful symbols of the Greek culture. Under the warm mediteranean sun, its products have provided the foundation of the Greek diet for thousands of years. It has a very special place in the heart of every Greek. If you are Greek you may cry when reading this book. If you are not Greek you will definitely be touched. Besides the beautiful story the illustrations are beautiful, extremely well done. If you want to give a present to a Greek, of any age, I can thing of nothing better than this book. By the way, I planted my olive tree when I was six years old and I plan to show it to my child as soon as he is old enough to understand.

Beautiful symbolism.......2000-06-29

I Have an Olive Tree is a simplistic yet poignant childrens' book about the symbolism of family and love. I use it in my fourth grade class to discuss culture and families. The illustrations are also powerful and upbeat. I am buying several to give as gifts!

Big Green Tree At No.11 (Stories from Canterbury Place)

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Big Green Tree At No.11 (Stories from Canterbury Place)
Mackenzie, Catherine
Manufacturer: Christian Focus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1857927311

Book Description

Isobel Kuhn questioned whether God even existed. Mary Slessor grew up in a slum with an alcoholic father. Joni Eareckson broke her neck during a diving accident and Corrie Ten Boom just lived with her family in a little watch shop in Harlaam Holland. What is so special about these girls and how did they change their world Isobel Kuhn believed in God and then obeyed his call to travel to Asia to tell the Lisu people about God. Mary Slessor put herself through evening classes and eventually became one of the first white women to venture into the interior of Africa. Joni Eareckson struggled through her treatment and endless hospital visits to become the inspiration to many Christians. Corrie Ten Boom spent most of her life just living in Holland until the Nazis started killing the Jews. Corrie Ten Boom put her life on the line to save the lives of many Jews in the hiding place a hidden room behind her wardrobe in a little watch shop in Haarlem Holland.Mary Slessor Missionary in Africa Corrie Ten Boom hid Jews in Nazi Germany Granny Brand Missionary in India Joni Eareckson Gladys Aylward Missionary in China Jackie Pullinger Missionary in Hong Kong Amy Carmichael Missionary in India Elisabeth Fry Worked among the sick prisoners and homeless Catherine Booth CoFounder of The Salvation Army and Isobel Kuhn Missionary in Asia.

Bosques En Extincion / Dying Forests (Operacion Tierra / Operation Earth)

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Bosques En Extincion / Dying Forests (Operacion Tierra / Operation Earth)
Jeremy Leggett
Manufacturer: Sigmar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9501109771

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