The Tree House [Hardcover]

Marije Tolman (Author), Ronald Tolman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2010 | Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Pure picture-book magic. A polar bear rides a whale to a tree rising out of the water. At the top of the tree is a tree house. He’s joined by a brown bear in a boat. The bears find that the tree house is the perfect place to read. When the water recedes, they are joined by flamingos, panda bears, and other animals that come by land and air. The tree house is a place of wonder, where a brown bear catches snowflakes in a butterfly net.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1—A wordless picture book about an elaborate wooden structure in the tree. Three stories tall, it soaks up the water surrounding its base as animals inhabit its various nooks and crannies. Bears, peacocks, owls, and a hippo all find different ways to amuse themselves while up so high. Some swing from the branches; others read books or welcome newcomers. When it's time to go, the animals leave as friends. Two panda bears ride on the hippo's back and a black bear makes room in his flying boat for a peacock. Soft pastel spreads allow readers to see all the activity in and around the tree and the changing background colors. Children will gaze in wonder at this tree house and understand the rhino's longing (and obvious impatience) to be up in its branches. This oversize picture book celebrates acceptance of others and the splendor of nature.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

Publishers Weekly (March 22, 2010)

Starred Review. Imbued with quiet effervescence, this wordless picture book imagines a child-sized paradise in which dreamy scenes unfold one after another. The Tolmans, a Dutch father-and-daughter team, draw the central tree--with a marvelous, many-storied tree house in its branches--in rich umber; it maintains the same size, shape, and position throughout, though the details in and around it vary widely. A polar bear swims up first, and a brown bear follows by boat. As the two read, an enormous flock of flamingoes appears, and the spread turns pink. Some roost in the branches, until a rhinoceros bumps the trunk, dislodging them. (The jostling is shown by reproducing the image of the tree house about a quarter inch off, creating a vibrational effect.) The rhino is welcomed, more bears appear, as do a peacock and a hippo, and soon the tree house is pleasantly crowded. It's Noah's Ark undone, with no traumatic flood, no tidy matched pairs, and no need for olive branches. Readers of all ages will want to return to this treasure box of images again and again. Ages 2--up. (Apr.)

The Bologna Ragazzi Award Jury stated the following about The Tree House:

The Tree House is a wise, clear, even poetic, example of how an established topos of the collective imagination may be revisited with a fresh eye to reveal a continued relevance to modern times. Marije Tolman and Ronald Tolman return to the "house in the trees". Their house, however, is rich with subtle cultural references ranging from symbolist painting to the most refined 20th century graphic art.

The book's message is not declaimed, but is conveyed quietly. It pleads for an enlightened ecological stance in which an intense awareness that we are part of nature does not forego our need for elegance and intellectual enquiry.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Lemniscaat USA; Illustrated edition (May 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590788060
• ISBN-13: 978-1590788066
• Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 9.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #124,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A mystical experience, September 20, 2010

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tree House (Hardcover)

"The Tree House" is a beautiful story told completely in wondrous pictures. A polar bear swims to a miraculous tree house. He is joined by a whale, a brown bear, and other animals. The bears like to read their books in the magical tree house. Flamingos, pandas, hippos, and other creatures come to visit. When they fly away, the brown bear catches magical snowflakes in a net, while the polar bear contemplates the moon. A mystical experience, "The Tree House" is a book that unfolds in images, transcending verbal language. Children of all ages will love its special spirit and vision.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustrations foster creative storytelling, November 2, 2010

By 

SeaShell (WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Tree House (Hardcover)

This book came home as part of a big stack of books for my childrens' library, and was the stand-out favorite. The beautiful illustrations center around a tree house standing alone in middle of the sea. Animal visitors - bears, flamingos, a rhino and many others - come to the tree house, and then leave.

The illustrations are intricate and beautiful, and really capture the imagination. And they are open-ended enough to allow for the creation of endless numbers of stories to go along with them.

5.0 out of 5 stars Worthy of Applause, February 1, 2012

By 

Mark - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Tree House (Hardcover)

"The Treehouse" caught my eye right away when our local library first got it in stock. I immediately grabbed it off the shelf because I knew it was something special. I read it 3 times that first day and knew I had to share it with my summer art camp class. Not only was it a big hit with my class but it brought tears to my eyes that after it was finished they clapped and clapped. And so yes, we read it again. And yes, they clapped again, for a wordless book that captured their attention and imaginations!

The book is like a play - the pictures seem to move through time from one page to another providing new creatures who meet up with the first bears in the tree house. Who doesn't like tree houses - they evoke a childhood memory in all of us of that feeling of freedom we used to know and all the silly fun things we'd do outside. The artwork is brilliant and my class had a wonderful time experimenting with printmaking trees and using mixed media to add groups of animals to their own tree house stories. The kids wanted me to write to the artist/author and tell her how much we loved her story and to thank her. I did and received a very nice letter back - we love when authors/artists take the time to respond - it made the kids smile even more.

I look forward to reading it again with my classes. And rereading it myself! What a joy!