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Eliza's Forever Trees
MOM'S CHOICE AWARDS® GOLD MEDALIST
A story as ageless as the forever trees it celebrates.
"Suddenly Mother jumped to her feet and ran to one of the trees, a three-hundred-foot-tall redwood. ''Forever tree! Forever tree!'' she cried, smiling. She swept the skinny girl up into her arms. The child s pale skin shimmered in the golden forest light. ''Forever trees, forever trees,'' they sang, spinning in circles. The memory melted into the fog, and Eliza felt very tired. The question came again to her. It appeared out of the gray, out of the damp, out of the cold corners of this new house. The question whispered it always did the kind of whisper that sounded very loud indeed: Where had Mother gone? Shadows appeared and disappeared in Eliza's mind. Still, she couldn't remember. She simply could not remember anything after that last story in the forest. For some reason, she wasn't terribly worried. She was a little worried, for sure, but not terribly worried, because a strange calm held the shadows and the question. It held Eliza, too. Because love is forever."
My review:
My youngest son and I absolutely loved this story. Stephanie Lisa Tara has written such a fascinating and inspiring story about forever love. This book is so well written, that readers easily pictures themselves along side of Eliza and her animal friends on their journey to find the "forever trees."
This is a beautiful and touching story about a child's love and loss. Eliza's mother died when she was younger, and she barely remembers her. Since then, Eliza doesn't speak. She now lives with her Grandfather in a home of a "million books." In their home, books are used for everything; including fire wood, table and chairs, even to cover leaks in the ceiling.
This story sees Eliza as she goes into the forest in search of the Great Mother Redwood...aka..'forever trees', which were here mother's favorite thing. On her journey she encounters, befriends, and is helped out by many different forest animals. I can't iterate enough how wonderful Stephanie Lisa Tara is at making these animals come alive in the readers imagination.
The story behind the 'forever tree' goes like this: When a redwood branch falls to the ground, it sprouts a new tree right beside it's mother, creating a circle of family and family is forever.
My favorite quote in the book is "Books give warmth. They warm us with their words." I agree with this completely, and this book will definitely warm you and your children with it's words.
I'll Follow the Moon
"On a quiet, moonlit beach, a baby green sea turtle stirs from a dream of home. Slowly, slowly, with a tap, crick, crack, the baby turtle embarks on a mysterious nighttime journey. Gentle, tender verse and enchanting illustrations carry this tranquil tale from sand to sea."
My review:
This is such a sweet story with absolutely wonderful illustrations. My child and I quickly fell in love with this book and have added to our stack of regularly read bedtime stories.
Not only is this story entertaining, but it is also educational. It helps teach the child about the life cycle of a sea turtle.
My son loved the repetition. He caught right on to the main verse and loved being able to say it aloud with me as I read it. It goes as follows: "I'm coming Mama, I'll see you soon. I know just how, I'll follow the moon."
My review:
This is such a sweet story with absolutely wonderful illustrations. My child and I quickly fell in love with this book and have added to our stack of regularly read bedtime stories.
Not only is this story entertaining, but it is also educational. It helps teach the child about the life cycle of a sea turtle.
My son loved the repetition. He caught right on to the main verse and loved being able to say it aloud with me as I read it. It goes as follows: "I'm coming Mama, I'll see you soon. I know just how, I'll follow the moon."
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About Stephanie Lisa Tara:
I've always believed that magic hides in special places. As a child, people would often stare at my bright red hair, which was very, very bright indeed.
Unfortunately, I developed a bad habit of making up rhymes about all of them, and they soon became funny characters. I didn't have much time to think about being different; fanciful lyricisms danced in my head, and no one was safe!
Since then, I've come to believe that storytelling has the power to inspire a deep love of language and learning. Words tripping off the tongue in somersaults that stick to your thoughts like taffy-- those are the things that stay forever in the mind.
I've lived in many special places: on a farm, in a city skyscraper, on a tropical beach, and in the beautiful country of France. Now I live in northern California, between the redwood forests and the sea. Even though I'm an adult, I'm still as silly as ever.
Many nice words have been used to describe my books, such as fun, engaging, delightful, and whimsical. Some folks say that I deliver timeless messages of love for kids and parents to share again and again; this makes me very happy. I hope that you'll enjoy my stories, too. Captivating children with language is something that I believe in, and I strive to live my life with this always.
--Stephanie Lisa Tara
Unfortunately, I developed a bad habit of making up rhymes about all of them, and they soon became funny characters. I didn't have much time to think about being different; fanciful lyricisms danced in my head, and no one was safe!
Since then, I've come to believe that storytelling has the power to inspire a deep love of language and learning. Words tripping off the tongue in somersaults that stick to your thoughts like taffy-- those are the things that stay forever in the mind.
I've lived in many special places: on a farm, in a city skyscraper, on a tropical beach, and in the beautiful country of France. Now I live in northern California, between the redwood forests and the sea. Even though I'm an adult, I'm still as silly as ever.
Many nice words have been used to describe my books, such as fun, engaging, delightful, and whimsical. Some folks say that I deliver timeless messages of love for kids and parents to share again and again; this makes me very happy. I hope that you'll enjoy my stories, too. Captivating children with language is something that I believe in, and I strive to live my life with this always.
--Stephanie Lisa Tara
Connect with author:
Cause pages (each supports a book's vision):
Facebook page for Save the Polar Bears | Facebook Page for Save the Green Turtles | Facebook Page for Save the Redwood Forests
Stephanie Lisa Tara's Personal Sites:
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