The Promise
by Nicola Davies
illustrated by Laura Carlin
Candlewick Press, 2014. 48 pages.
The Promise is a simple picture book about planting trees — and thus transforming a “sad and sorry city.”
The pictures show the change from sad and gray and brown to happy and bright and colorful.
It’s the story of a girl who stole a purse from a woman who wouldn’t let go until she promised to “plant them.”
The purse was full of acorns.
The girl understood her promise.
I forgot the food and money.
And for the first time in my life, I felt lucky,
rich beyond my wildest dreams.I slept with the acorns as my pillow,
my head full of leafy visions.
Neither the text nor the pictures are long on details. People might quibble over how it would work.
But this is a picture book for children, and I believe children will get it.
Green spread through the city like a song,
breathing to the sky, drawing down the rain like a blessing.
Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Picture_Books/promise.html
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Source: This review is based on a library book from Fairfax County Public Library.
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