We Planted a Tree (by Diane Muldrow)

While the story here is simply told in poetic lines and the illustrations are playful, the message is powerful and will inspire readers of all ages. It stresses how in many ways, people all around the world are the same, and all benefit in some way from the trees that grow around them. The author might have made her message even stronger had she nudged readers toward the next step by including information about Kenya's Greenbelt project as well as other tree projects that people, especially kids, might access.

Any fan of Bob Staake will recognize the artwork as his. On one page, attentive readers will even spot the donut chef from his earlier book. Created on the computer, his scenes are expressively detailed yet definitely of graphic design. Colorful, geometrically influenced images describe each setting and bring a fuller, more universal dimension to the hopeful message of each page.