The Music Tree

by Julia Valtanen

Overview

Luke the frog is too busy to play the trumpet his grandfather sent him, and when Granddad sends him a seed, Luke is frustrated that it is slow to grow—until it responds to the music of a band of street musicians. Luke and the musicians play until the magical tree is tall and strong, and until Luke loves playing his trumpet. This is a story about patience and effort with delightful retro/folk art style illustrations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781760362041
Publisher:	Starfish Bay Publishing
Publication date:	11/05/2024
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 10.88(h) x 0.12(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Julia Valtanen is an author and illustrator currently living in Tallinn, Estonia. Julia has an MA degree in graphic design with many years experience in this field. However, Julia has recently found her real passion - writing and illustrating stories for children. The main source of Julia's inspiration is nature and she uses this to help teach children to love and care about their environment.

Editorial Reviews

“Luke is quite a busy frog. ... Luke and the other anthropomorphized animals are depicted clothed and in human habitation in the happy, playful, childlike paintings; with their bright, colorful hues, they are in perfect synchrony with the simple, direct text.” —Kirkus Reviews 

From the Publisher

2020-12-15
Luke is quite a busy frog.

He likes to observe insects, fly his kite, and count the clouds (appearing in a variety of whimsical shapes) in the sky. He does not have time to play the trumpet his grandfather gave him long ago. It just hangs there on his wall, untouched and unused. When Grandpa sends him a mysterious seed, Luke immediately plants it in a large pot. But when nothing grows, he is disappointed and takes it outside to toss it away. In front of his house he encounters an unusual group of musicians playing lively music on a variety of instruments, and the magic begins. As the lion, cat, parrot, and fox play, the pot starts dancing and shaking in rhythm, and the seed begins to grow. Luke grabs his trumpet and joins the band, playing until dark. The next day a full-grown music tree is standing majestically in the garden. Luke continues to play his trumpet, attracting a wide audience to the music tree, which seems to listen with them. Though readers might question his musical talent if he never previously played his trumpet, it must be part of the tree’s magic. Valtanen’s inventive tale brings on the magic slowly, drawing Luke and young readers into its joys and possibilities. Luke and the other anthropomorphized animals are depicted clothed and in human habitation in the happy, playful, childlike paintings; with their bright, colorful hues, they are in perfect synchrony with the simple, direct text.

Creativity triumphs in this warm, gentle tale imported from New Zealand. (Picture book. 3-8)

Kirkus Reviews