The Tree and the River

What a beautiful book. As adults, my husband and I are perhaps not the target audience, but we read a review about it which intrigued us, described the quality of the art, as well as the cleverness of the concept, so we bought it.For us, it works on so many levels, thematically, narratively, and visually. There’s plenty to look at, but also plenty to think about and I can’t imagine why that would be any less so for a child reading this. The artwork is imaginative and gorgeous; it has a feeling of old world, and even a little otherworldly, charm. Every image invites you to spend more time looking at it, exploring it, discovering the details of the time and civilisation and, in that, the narrative. To be able to communicate so much through a series of snapshots in time is incredible and it’s clear so much thought has gone into creating this. We both love it. It now lives with our coffee table books in our living room and we look forward to introducing others to it.Highly recommend for children and grown-ups alike.

Purchased as present for child, but seems more suitable for someone older.

The Tree and the River is a children's story book but one that does not contain a single word letting the reader use their imagination via the power of the images.The book shows a particular landscape that evolves in the artists mind but ever present is a tree and a river.Starting with a single house being built alongside the river and across from the tree as you turn the pages one house becomes multiple, but this isn't a chronological book in which multiple house become cities, this is a book that shows the same landscape in different settings including what looks like roman settlements and a future city.Whilst many of the images show touching and wonderful imagery there are also devastating scenes of floods and damage and manmade destruction including a destroyed tree and then hope with a single acorn. It has a very dystopian feel to the book.Whilst I as an adult loved this book I did wonder if youngsters are going to understand it, certainly little ones won't but older children may.The artwork though is phenomenal and I really do hope readers appreciate what the author has created.*I received a free copy of this book, which I voluntarily reviewed

This is such a clever and mesmerising story told only through illustrations and no words. A small oak tree stands at the edge of a river which meanders through the beautiful wild landscape while a small house is being built by a group of people nearby. But what will become of the tree and the river when more and more people arrive, soon creating a seemingly thriving civilisation? This paperback is filled with thick glossy pages of some beautiful and detailed artwork.I love books where the pictures can tell the whole story and this is a wonderful example of how a powerful story can be told with no words needed. In the first images we see of the tree and the river, we see a small group of humans building a house on the other side of the riverbank to the tree. The next pictures on subsequent pages show the house which was originally built becoming bigger with several more dwellings, with more appearing in other parts of the landscape while this area of the original house soon becomes what looks to be a castle of sorts. I love how in every page we see the tree, slowly getting bigger as the years go by but always staying the in same place as you turn each page.As the years move on and the civilisation grows we see huge changes to the landscape. The river is redirected and more and more is built upon the land. Although the story charts how humans end up changing the landscape, covering more and more of it with their structures and roads and eventually leading to less and less of the natural world in place, I do like how the civilisation shown is not specifically belonging to any one country or time period in our world and instead looks a little made up with the way certain vehicles and houses and people look, making it feel like book which can be relatable to anyone reading, regardless of what country you come from.The illustrations are so amazing, there's so much detail to see in each picture. If you turn the pages slowly, going back and forth, you can spot just what parts have changed including how the tree changes over time. I love the details of the people on certain pages, how you can see so many of them going about different tasks. It's a feast for the eyes to just look at this book, and you can spend a very long time immersed in all the details on each page before eventually turning the page.The story has an interesting build up to the ending, and I absolutely love how the book finishes. It's a great example of the power of nature verses humanities civilisations that come and go and a wonderful book that shows an important environmental message too. I would recommend everyone look at this book. The pictures are amazing and the story is a good one. It's an absolute joy to look at and each illustration is mesmerising, keeping you immersed in the story that's so well told with no words needed!-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.

Adored Becker's Journey trilogy, which were so perfect for using as storytelling wordless picture books. This too tells a story.A sad story - the growth and change of human civilisation, around one tree, over time. From the start of gathering/farming through to towns, cities, technology rising to its current heights and surpassing them to futuristic visions of gleaming meccas and through to what looks to be a fall, a time of change and ecological ruin, for both humans and nature.But finally - nature continues to find its own way to move forward and won't be quelled that easily.There was a Wall-E quality to this as well, and the same feeling of hope for our species as when I finished watching that film.Really beautifully illustrated and imagined. Words just aren't needed, you can read the book through the images. Though an adult could narrate for a child if they are too young to understand the context of the timescapes and history passing before their eyes.This could be suitable for anywhere from a primary school child to a teen and to adults, who will probably have a lump in their throat considering the implications of the pages. Heartfelt and moving stuff.With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.