Wishtree

There's a charming whimsy to this quiet friendship book that touches on bigotry but draws on the deeper wisdom of the stately oak tree that narrates the story of its richly diverse community. Author Katherine Applegate often untangles thorny subjects for young readers, in the past addressing captive animals and homelessness. In Wishtree, she takes on anti-Muslim bigotry, handling the subject with a light touch, so the treatment doesn't feel heavy. There's sly humor, and fun friendships involving the tree, talking animals, and humans, mixed in with some meaty scientific information about trees and animals. Applegate, a lovely writer, sprinkles the story with language that's strikingly beautiful but never showy. For instance, a sky's described as "freckled with stars," a crow’s eyes are "like morning blackberries, dark and dewy," and a night sky displays a "splinter of moon."

Like many beloved kids' novels, this one is enhanced with illustration, and readers will be charmed by the black-and-white drawings by Charles Santoso (Ida, Always) scattered throughout. If, like the tree, we're sometimes baffled by angry human behavior and ugly conflict, this story's a balm, promoting acceptance and empathy, and full of quiet wisdom and soothing pleasures.