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“Transcending time and place, this gentle book will take root in many hearts.”

—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“Empathic vulnerability marks every page of Lim’s story . . . Lim and Na’s poignantly affecting collaboration is a reassuring homage to resilient adaptation, familial support and unexpectedly nurturing friendships, ensuring My Tree will take root in hearts of all ages.”

—Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

“Colorful digital illustrations are filled with small details and reveal the massive tree and the child’s love for it. This tale of a boy’s devotion and regard for the natural world is quietly endearing, and the young protagonist will be a comfort to others who have said goodbye to home.”

—School Library Journal

My Tree

Written by Hope Lim
Illustrated by Il Sung Na
Published by Neal Porter Books

A young boy, recently arrived from Korea, finds a glorious plum tree in his new backyard. It reminds him of a tree his family had back home, and he names it “Plumee” for the deep purple plums on its branches. Whenever the boy is homesick, he knows he can take shelter in Plumee’s tall branches.

And when a storm brings the old tree down, he and his friends have all kinds of adventures on its branches, as it becomes a dragon, a treehouse, and a ship in their imaginations. But soon it’s time to say goodbye when the remains of the tree are taken away. Before long, a new plum tree is planted, new blossoms bloom, and a new friendship takes root.

A South Korean immigrant herself, Hope Lim brings her perspective on the struggle for child immigrants to feel at home to bear through spare, poetic text, perfectly matched by soft, lyrical illustrations by Korean artist Il Sung Na.

Primary ISBN: 9780823443383
Publication Date: May 2021
Available As: Hardcover
Picture Book, Age 04 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Immigrant

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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