The things that Red and Bongo did with the help of Red’s residents was sweet.BookPage Children's Top Pick, October 2017 How does one ignite the spark of friendship? What brings two beings together and connects them with this special bond? I liked these simple conversations and attempts ate helping Samar have a friend. So he asks his crow friend, Bongo, to help him understand it. Red does not know what friendship is or how it happens. As the day approached for Red to be cut down, he makes his first and, possibly last attempt, at granting a wish tied to him. The incident though acted as a catalyst for Red to rethink the rules he has been following all his life and whether he has made a difference to this world at all. I wondered, too, if I’d done enough for the world that I loved. It was disheartening to hear that people would rather get rid of the tree that has only supported the community over the years. The lady who now owns the land, rather than help grow the community, decides to give rid of the canvas used by the vandalize and cause pain. Though Wishtree does not go into the nuances of that word, it does an amazing job of showing the repercussions of that act. As a reader, I instantly knew of its meaning and the hate that that one word engraved on the tree was projecting. When Samar and her family move in the house, someone carves LEAVE on Red’s trunk to send a message. Red is a optimist, a silent observer of all that goes on around him. He produces oxygen for the humans and provides shade when it is hot. He (or she, since Red is bi) provides home to little critters. Why do rules exist? Why do people feel a certain way about people who look different from them? Red has lived all his life following the rules. But when he notices the sadness in the new little girl who just moved in the same house, he wants to fulfill her wish of having a friend. He can only communicate with his animal and plant friends. Like with all other things in nature, Red is not allowed to speak to humans. He wasn’t always a wishing tree but the custom of people tying wishes to his branches started when a kind Irish lady moved in the house on whose property he was. Red has seen the world change around him. We meet Red, a red oak tree, who is over two centuries old. Wishtree is a quick read reaches the heart. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red’s experiences as a wishtree are more important than ever.Ĭontent Notes: Portrayal of hate towards minorities

Along with her crow friend Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red’s hollows, this “wishtree” watches over the neighborhood.

Red is the neighborhood “wishtree”-people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches. Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Trees can’t tell jokes, but they can certainly tell stories.

Book wishtree