WHO WILL RULE THE TREES?

In the days after Creation, each tree species tries to prove why it should be their leader.

God instructs all the creatures of the Earth to choose who will rule over them. Fish, birds, and land animals each make their selection, but the trees cannot agree. The oak touts its strength, the pine its towering vantage point, the maple its beauty, and the fig and date their delicious fruits. Finally, the olive speaks up. The other trees are incredulous that the small, drab tree could have much to offer. But the olive explains that its fruit can be pressed into olive oil, which, when made into a lamp, brings light. Since God made light first, and light is the source of the rest of Creation, the trees decide that the olive will be their leader. Straathof’s art is particularly appealing, with layers of watercolor and ink, shifting colors, and expressive tree faces. The deeply textured backgrounds will have children running their fingers over the pages. The story, by contrast, isn’t quite as engaging. The trees all have similar voices and are equally assertive in their claims to leadership, leaving the poetic ending about the importance of light without deeper resonance. A concluding author’s note explains the story’s roots in Jewish midrash; caregivers and educators may want to share this title on or near Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish holiday known as “New Year for the Trees.”

A visually compelling ode to flora.