The Cherry Tree

by Ruskin Bond Narrated by Ruskin Bond

Overview

Rakesh plants a cherry seedling in his garden and watches it grow. As seasons go by, the small tree survives heavy monsoon showers, a hungry goat that eats most of the leaves and a grass cutter who splits it into two with one sweep. At last, on his ninth birthday, Rakesh is rewarded with a miraculous sight-the first pink blossoms of his precious cherry tree!

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

First published in Highlights , this gentle story of a girl in Northern India who grows a cherry tree from seed abounds with quiet wisdom and love of life. Bond's warm text is sympathetic to Rakhi's hopes and fears as she tends her tree, and poetic in its rendering--``Come back when you're a butterfly'' she says to a hungry caterpillar. Time passes, the tree grows until it produces flowers and fruit, and the girl becomes a woman. Eitzen's atmospheric artwork eloquently portrays the unusual setting, while his choices of moments and details are often singular: the wheels of a runaway cart skim across a page; strange creatures whirl out of Grandfather's nighttime tales. A minor cavil: the last page seems tacked on; the penultimate spread in itself makes a more touching closure--contemplating her full-blown tree, `` `How it changed,' she said. `Just like you,' smiled Grandfather.'' Appealingly simple in its treatment of faith, this beguiling picture book may well produce many young arborists. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-- A story set in the foothills of the Himalayas. Six-year-old Rakhi eats cherries on her way home from the bazaar. She savors each bite, but finally none are left. Her grandfather suggests that she plant one of the seeds, even though few fruit trees grow in their stony soil. As time passes, the small tree survives heavy rains, a hungry goat eating its leaves, and a cart spliting it in two. The years go by, and on Rakhi's tenth birthday, the first pink blossom appears. Clear, uncluttered illustrations mix watercolor and collage to complement this simple, quiet story with universal appeal. --Laura Culberg, Harold Washington Library Center, Chicago

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173484796
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	09/24/2019
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	Up to 4 Years

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