A girl's parents plant a tree for her, and the two grow together. When Maple's little sister is born, Maple tries to be a good big sister. Fortunately, there's enough room under the tree for them both...and a brand new Willow tree nearby! A sweet story about seasons and siblings. ( )

A sweet, simple story about a girl who loves the tree she was named after. About halfway through the book, Maple gets a surprise--a new baby sister who has her own namesake tree. There's one page of Maple having mild difficulties with Willow and then they bond. I liked the simple illustrations, but this was a little too pointedly precious for me to love. ( )

A little girl and a tree grow up together in this sweet debut.

Maple, named for a sapling planted just before her birth, plays alongside her special tree every day, giving it hugs and watching its foliage flutter. Her free-spirited, bracing sessions of solitary, outdoor fun appear as crisp vignettes on white backgrounds, their sequencing marking the marching passage of time, which stops for moments of reflection. A long, grassy double-page spread appears at spring, showing Maple bent knees to nose over dolls, directing a miniaturized theater production under the tree’s canopy. Here’s a child’s world, where page borders crop out parents’ faces and private reverie recurs as an all-consuming pastime, transmuted by Nichols through charmingly plain pencil illustrations and mild digital colors. Maple, sweetly nondescript with her round head, low braids, comfortable dresses and pink cheeks, could easily sit next to any young reader at preschool or day care. Leaf rubbings (from real maple leaves!) dazzle with their sudden crinkles, veins and tart greens and orangy yellows. Another small tree, right next to Maple’s, marks the birth of a new sibling (Willow), who soon joins her sister under dancing leaves in this kid’s kingdom.

An arboreal homage perfect for children reveling in alone time or reeling with a new sibling’s arrival. (Picture book. 2-6)

An absolutely adorable, sweet, subtle book about friendship and becoming a big sister. ( )

I don't even like kids and I think this book is adorable. ( )