Beneath the Trees: A Fine Summer
by Dav

5 out of 5 stars

An owl is disturbed by little animal children playing noisily in the pond. They are always shouting out, “Yeah!” when they score a point in their water-basketball game. They accidentally kick the ball through his open window and he is so annoyed that he refuses to give it back. That evening, when the animal children are all gone, the owl throws the ball out the window, and accidentally makes a basket! He is intrigued by the game, and starts to practice by himself at night. Will the kids ever find out?

This is such a sweet story! I really loved the beautiful messages of inclusion and patience, and it’s so adorable to see the owl gradually warming up to those rowdy kids. Even adults have a need for playfulness and fun!

I loved that this little book is told with very little dialogue. Most of the action and story-telling comes from the graphic novel style of the illustrations. Each page is divided into panels with speech bubbles for the few bits of dialogue.

The art work is absolutely gorgeous with rich colors and beautiful scenery. Each animal character has a cute design, and you can really feel the emotions of the story through their facial expressions and body language. This lovely art work captured my heart from the very first page!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.