Lori Nichols’ enchanting debut features an irresistible, free-spirited, nature-loving little girl who greets the changing seasons and a new sibling with arms wide open.
When Maple is tiny, her parents plant a maple tree in her honor. She and her tree grow up together, and even though a tree doesn’t always make an ideal playmate, it doesn’t mind when Maple is in the mood to be loud—which is often. Then Maple becomes a big sister, and finds that babies have their loud days, too. Fortunately, Maple and her beloved tree know just what the baby needs.
On sale: February 20, 2014
Age: 3-5 years
Grade: Up to Kindergarten
Page count: 32 Pages
ISBN: 9780399160851
Reading level: Lexile: AD500L
Lori Nichols (www.lorinichols.com) spent her childhood in northwestern Pennsylvania surrounded by maple trees. As she grew, so did her love of trees and nature. She now lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband and three free-spirited daughters. Many days you can find Lori and her family under their maple tree, eating lunch, playing kickball or just being loud.
Maple is her first picture book.
* “Sweet debut. . . . Free-spirited, bracing sessions of solitary, outdoor fun. . . . Here’s a child’s world, where . . . private reverie recurs as an all-consuming pastime. . . . Maple, sweetly nondescript . . . could easily sit next to any young reader at preschool or day care. Leaf rubbings (from real maple leaves!) dazzle. . . . An arboreal homage perfect for children reveling in alone time or reeling with a new sibling’s arrival.”
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review* “Readers will fall in love with Maple. . . . Lush, leafy illustrations. . . . This is a fresh addition to the standard new sibling fare, and young naturalists will identify with Maple’s adventurous and tender spirit.”
—School Library Journal, starred review
“The narrator’s voice . . . has its own distinctive, understated humor. . . . An exploration of different kinds of love and different kinds of acceptance.”
—Publishers Weekly
