#BOOKREVIEW
CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW AS A WRITER AND A READER

Title: The Tree Lady
Author: H. Joseph Hopkins
Illustrator: Jill McElmurry
Genre: Nonfiction, Children’s Picture Book
Target Reader: 6-9

As a child, I read school textbooks, and now, in my late 40s, I am reading children’s books. I am exploring books that make me laugh and teach me through pictures. The moment I grab a book that is low on text, my heart smiles, and that book accompanies me. There is a lot more happening in picture loaded books and it stimulates my creative thinking.

I am an author of adult books, and last month I finished writing my first children’s book, which is ready to publish. Both forms of books have their set of challenges, but I learned that writing for young readers is far more difficult than writing for adults.

The book – The Tree Lady written by H. Joseph Hopkins – was on my table for months, just resting there. Every time I planned to review this book, I picked up another one. But this time, I didn’t give in to noises in my head. I used Mel Robbins’s theory of the 3-2-1 rule, which means that before your mind pushes you into procrastination, just act. The overthinking mind complicates things for me. And since I am working on my perseverance and patience to get back into the game, I must face all sorts of challenges.

Talking of staying determined, there can’t be a bigger legend than Katherine Olivia Sessions. She is ‘The Tree Lady’ who managed to plant hundreds of trees in the desert of San Diego to turn the landscape of that place into a beautiful attraction.

Kate was born hungry for knowledge. She dreamed big and turned every possible stone to fulfil her dreams. H. Joseph Hopkins presented Kate’s life story in a simple and relatable manner for children. The common saying – It takes only one person to bring the change – is proved true by this one lady who loved science and trees.

Kate went to the University of California and was the only girl to receive a degree in science in 1881. When she moved to San Diego, she couldn’t bear to look at the state of the city park. It was nowhere close to a park. It was a place for animal grazing and dumping garbage. Kate requested the city council to give her the land to plant a hundred trees. That led to a new journey where her love for plants directed her to bring all those species that could survive in the harsh conditions of heat and dryness. Known as a plant hunter, Kate wrote letters to people in different parts of the world to search for plants that would grow in hot desert.  She was the driving force behind converting City Park into a place filled with trees. That place was then renamed Balboa Park.

Katherine Olivia Sessions, the mother of Balboa Park, taught us that nothing is impossible if you stick to your dreams and passion. She single-handedly changed the landscape of a desert. Kate’s life and her work are splendidly presented by the illustrator of this book, Jill McElmurry. She has given life to this book by making vivid, thought-provoking, and colourful visuals. The illustrator has smartly given the scientific names of the plants or the seeds that Kate used for planting, which reduces the overload of information presented through text, yet enhances the knowledge of children who are interested in knowing more.  

Sometimes, I wonder how authors find brilliant ideas like The Tree Lady to write. The book is used in schools to teach lessons on sustainability by inspiring the children through the actions of one person. It is an efficient medium to open a discussion among young readers about creating a green environment.

The Tree Lady, written by H. Joseph Hopkins, is a 2015 Oregon Book Awards Finalist.

Enjoy reading this book as an adult or a child. I even recommend gifting it to children to make it part of their book collection!

---