Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Red is an oak tree that is many rings old. The tree is the neighbourhood wishtree - people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red's branches. Red, and the motley crew of animals who seek refuge in the oak's hollows, watch over the neighbourhood. Red has seen many things but then a new family moves in.

Not everyone on the street is welcoming and Red's experience as a wishtree is more important than ever.

Author Katherine Applegate writes from the heart, starting off slowly. In the beginning the book seemed too simplistic and slow for the intended reader. But it does eventually build, with a strong message about hope and acceptance.

Short, snappy chapters interspersed with illustrations make this a great read for readers in their middle primary years. It would also make a great read aloud with plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions.

Applegate gives non-human characters some relatable characteristics. This allows younger readers some space to explore morals - tolerance, kindness, friendship are all explored within the book. But those characters felt off. Red never really felt like a tree, but rather ended up thinking and behaving like a human. Likewise, Applegate switched between fantasy and realism with the animal characters which made it hard to really feel for them.

There were moments of wonderful imagination and humour that stood out. The explanations of how animals are named (for example, skunks are named after pleasant scents while possums name themselves after their phobias) were fun and led to some great discussions with my younger readers.

This is a deeply heartfelt and moving story from a unique perspective but the delivery just missed the mark for me.

Reviewed by Rebekah Lyell Welbeck Publishing